Physicochemical behavior of M doped Zn0.95Cu0.05O nanocomposites synthesized by facile sol–gel method

Abstract

In the present work, the synthesis of Zn0.94Cu0.05M0.01O (M=Ag; Ni; Fe) nanocomposites by a simple sol-gel method is illustrated. XRD, SEM, EDX and FTIR were utilized to characterize the prepared nanocomposites structure; additionally, their porosity and surface area were investigated via N2 adsorption. The XRD data asserted the pertinence of the ZnO hexagonal wurtzite structure with the evolution of a CuO monoclinic phase. The FTIR analysis emphasized the bonding of the metal ions to the ZnO host as dictated by a shift in the Zn–O vibration mode. The dielectric properties variations with frequencies as a consequence of the incorporation of M-ions in the Zn0.95Cu0.05O nanocomposite showed that the dielectric constant, dielectric loss tangent and conductivity values were found to change inversely with the applied frequencies. On the other hand a direct dependence of impedance was observed. Hopping of charge carriers between ions such as Fe2+ → Fe3+ and Cu2+ + M+n → Cu+ + M+n+1 may be the cause for the electrical and dielectric dispersion in the samples. The above mentioned findings make these materials promising candidates for optoelectronic and photocatalytic applications.