Synthesis of Al-doped ZnO nanoparticles by laser ablation of ZnO:Al2O3 target in water

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We report on structural, compositional and optical properties of colloidal Al-doped ZnO nanoparticles synthesized by pulsed laser ablation of a ZnO:Al2O3 target (98 wt.% ZnO, 2 wt.% Al2O3) in a water medium. Irradiation took place in water with a Nd:YAG laser with two different laser wavelengths (1064 and 532 nm).We obtained 2D discs with diameters ranging from 100 nm up to 1.4 µm and thicknesses between 20 and 30 nm, for both laser wavelengths. The ZnO nanoparticles consist of a crystalline (wurtzite-type) core and thin (5 nm) amorphous shell, while their band-gap energies were estimated as 3.17 and 3.28 eV for laser ablation at 532 and 1064 nm, respectively. Energy-dispersive x-ray spectrometer elemental analysis revealed the presence of Al in the synthesized ZnO nanoparticles.