Structural and optical studies of Pd doped tin oxide nanoparticles prepared by chemical co-precipitation method

Abstract

Pure and Pd doped (1, 3 and 5 mol%) SnO2 nanoparticles were synthesized by chemical co-precipitation method. Structural analysis with HRTEM and XRD confirm the tetragonal structure SnO2 with a grain size ranging from 7 to 13 nm. The grain size decreased with the increase in Pd concentrations. The DRS showed a blue shift in the absorption edge and increase in band gap with Pd concentration and the band gap of highest doping of 5mol% was found to be 4.17 eV. The presence of Pd in the doped SnO2 was confirmed by EDX analysis. The relationship between dopant concentration and the structural and optical properties of Pd: SnO2 nanoparticles are discussed.