Studies of Effects of Calcination Temperature on the Crystallinity and Optical Properties of Ag-Doped ZnO Nanocomposites

Abstract

Ag-doped ZnO nanocomposites are successfully synthesized at different calcination temperatures and times through a simple, effective, high-yield and low-cost mechanochemical combustion technique. Effects of calcination temperature on the crystallinity and optical properties of Ag/ZnO nanocomposites have been studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV−visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-DRS), photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The XRD patterns of the synthesized Ag/ZnO exhibit a well-crystalline wurtzite ZnO crystal structure. The grain size of Ag/ZnO nanocomposites is found to be 19 and 46 nm at calcination temperatures of 400 °C and 700 °C, respectively. The maximum absorption in the UV region is obtained for Ag/ZnO nanocomposites synthesized at a calcination temperature of 500 °C for 3 h. The peak position of blue emissions is almost the same for the nanocomposites obtained at 300–700 °C calcination temperatures. The usual band edge emission in the UV is not obtained at 330 nm excitation. Band edge and blue band emissions are observed for the use of low excitation energy at 335–345 nm.