Structural and optical investigations on Mn3O4 hausmannite thin films gamma irradiated along with an enhancement of photoluminescence sensing proprety

Abstract

This paper reports the results of the structural and optical study of gamma irradiated Mn3O4 sprayed thin films having thickness of the order of 2 μm. Mn3O4 thin samples were irradiated by different gamma-rays doses (25, 50 and 100 kGy). First, the structural features of as-deposited and γ- irradiated films were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD). XRD Results show that the average grain size and the degree of the crystallinity depend strongly on the irradiation dose. Second, the optical properties for as-deposited and exposed thin films were analyzed. It was found that the optical transmittance coefficient of irradiated samples increases. Moreover, the optical energy gap value determined by means of the absorption coefficient increases from 2.20 to 2.70 eV with increasing absorbed dose. Finally, the effect of such irradiation on photoluminescence (PL) properties was also studied. It is found an enhancement of the photoluminescence property of such films for gamma doses 25–50 kGy. This may be of interest for possible use of these films in sensitivity domains such as photocatalysis and gas sensors.