Formation Of Nanocrystallites Research Articles

Er3+/Tm3+ codoped CaF2 based oxyfluoroborosilicate glass-ceramics for fiber laser applications

Transparent Er3+/Tm3+ codoped CaF2 based oxyfluoroborosilicate glass-ceramics (BSEr1TmxGCs) with variable Tm3+ concentration were prepared through melt quench process followed by reheat treatment at 450 °C/1h. They were characterized through differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) Raman spectroscopy, near infrared (NIR) emission and luminescence decay. The formation of CaF2 nanocrystallites against oxyfluoroborosilicate glassy phase was confirmed by scanning electron microscopic (SEM) and hi-resolution transmission electron microscopic (HRTEM) studies. The NIR emission properties were investigated at 460 nm diode laser pumping. The applicability of BSEr1TmxGCs were examined by evaluating effective bandwidth (Δλeff), stimulated emission cross-section (σe), gain bandwidth (σe × Δλeff), figure of merit (σe × τR) and quantum efficiency (ηQE). The energy transfer efficiency (ηET), rate of energy transfer (WET) between Er3+ and Tm3+ and the rate of non-radiative transitions (WNR) were also calculated. The comparative NIR emission performance suggests that the BSEr1Tm1GC has proficiency for 1530 nm broadband fiber lasers and optical amplifiers in short wavelength and conventional wavelength (S + C) band communication window.

Microstructural characterization of nanocrystalline hexagonal boron nitride thin films deposited by ion-beam assisted pulsed laser deposition

In recent years, hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) thin films have garnered considerable attention across various fields, including electronics, anti-corrosion coatings, tribology, and optoelectronics. Boron nitride films produced via physical vapor deposition typically result in amorphous microstructure and suffer from issues such as cracking and delamination. The synthesis of crystalline hBN thin films typically demands higher processing temperatures, toxic gas precursors, and catalytic metal substrates. Hence, this research aims to produce crystalline hBN films at relatively lower temperatures without toxic gas precursors. hBN thin films were deposited on silicon (100) substrates at 600 °C using an ion beam-assisted pulsed laser deposition. The study explores the microstructural evolution and surface morphology of deposited films under different Ar:N2 gas mixtures (ranging from 0% to 100% N2) and varying ion beam energies (from 0 to 400 eV). Microstructural analysis showed the hBN nanocrystallite formation in films deposited with N2 content of 50% and higher and an ion beam energy equal to or exceeding 200 eV, and the crystallite size was measured to be ∼24±8 nm. Raman spectra, grazing incidence X-ray diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy confirm the presence of hBN phase in as-deposited films. Films deposited with an N2 content of ≥50% and ion beam energy of ≥200 eV showed improved crystallinity, increased island size, and density of hBN nanocrystallites. The addition of ion bombardment comparatively made films rougher due to grain growth and formation of larger hBN nanoislands, and surface roughness increased with an increase in N2 content and ion beam energy. The results indicate that the ion beam bombardment facilitates nanograin formation and improves the crystallinity of hBN films even at lower deposition temperatures, offering the promise of advancing their use into practical applications across various fields.

Mechanisms of ion irradiation induced ordering in amorphous TiO2 nanotubes: Effects of ion mass and energy

Amorphous TiO2 nanotubes were irradiated in-situ in a transmission electron microscope (TEM) with Kr+ ions at energies of 46 keV, 150 keV, and 1 MeV and with 46 keV Xe+ ions, to investigate the structural and morphological evolution of the nanotubes under irradiation. At all irradiation conditions, amorphous TiO2 nanotubes exhibited significant morphological instability, and tended to undergo volumetric swelling with increasing ion counts, often until collapse of the original nanotube structure. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations confirmed that irradiation-induced defects can explain the observed swelling. Structurally, nanotubes remain amorphous following all Kr+ irradiation conditions, but irradiation with 46 keV Xe+ leads to the formation of anatase nanocrystallites. Importantly, through systematically varying ion energy and ion species, we try to elucidate the influence of nuclear and electronic stopping power on ion irradiation induced changes. By contextualizing these results within the existing literature, we propose that the observed changes in TiO2 nanotube morphology and structure could be due to a competition between two mechanisms: (1) disorder-induced swelling and (2) irradiation-induced amorphous-to-crystalline transformation.

Influence of Pulsed Interference Laser Heating on Crystallisation of Amorphous Fe77Cu1Si13B9 Ribbons.

Amorphous Fe77Cu1Si13B9 ribbons were treated with pulsed laser interference heating (PLIH). The research results will significantly contribute to a better understanding of the impact of PLIH on crystallisation and magnetic properties in precisely defined micro-areas of Fe77Cu1Si13B9 (FeCuSiB) ribbons, which has not yet been described in the literature. It was confirmed here that the use of the laser heating process allowed for the achievement of two-dimensional crystallised micro-areas, periodically distributed (at a distance of 17 µm) on the surface of the amorphous ribbons. The correlation between structural changes (SEM, TEM, HRTEM) and the distribution of magnetic field lines of heated amorphous Fe77Cu1Si13B9 ribbons is presented. Particular attention is paid to structural changes in micro-areas where, by controlling the laser interference heating process, the partial crystallisation of amorphous alloys and the formation of clusters or single nanocrystallites (α-Fe(Si)) embedded in an amorphous matrix occur. The addition of copper to the FeSiB alloy promoted the inhibition of grain growth. Electron holography of micro-areas confirmed shifts in the magnetic field lines in the areas of nanocrystallites, the presence of which in the structure caused the magnetisation of the surrounding amorphous matrix.

Sketching Precursor Evolution to Delineate Growth Pathways for Anatase (TiO2) Crystal Design.

Engineering advanced functional materials such as Anatase crystals through the molecular tuning of crystal facets is the current enigma of interest pertinent to solving the structure-property-performance triad. Developing optimal shapes and sizes of crystallite necessitates exploring the nanoscopic growth mechanism via precursor tracking. Here, the tapestry of particles varying in dimensionality (0D-3D), sizes (8-3000nm), and morphology (aggregated to highly faceted crystals) is generated. To decipher and subsequently modulate the crystallization pathways, high-resolution microscopy (high-resolution transmission electron microscopy(HRTEM) and field emission scanning electron microscopy(FESEM)) is used to sketch time-stamped particle evolution. Interestingly, the studies provide evidence for 4-distinct mechanisms where nanoparticles/nanosheets play direct and/or indirect roles in crystallization through multi-stage aggregation (primary, secondary, and tertiary) beginning with similar growth solutions. The four distinct pathways elucidate bulk particle formation via non-classical routes of crystallization including nanosheet alignment and aggregation, nanocrystallite formation and fusion, nanobeads formation and attachment, and direct nanosheet incorporation in bulk crystals. Notably, the direct evidence of flexible-partially-ordered nanosheets being subsumed along the contours of bulk crystals is captured. These novel syntheses generated uniquely faceted particles with high-indexed surface planes such as (004), (200), and (105), amenable to photocatalytic applications.

Nanocrystallization of Bi2O3 based system from the glassy state under high compression

This report presents the pressure-temperature (p-T) plane of Bi2O3-Al2O3-SiO2 ternary system in the context of nanocrystallite formation from its amorphous state. The diagram was constructed through differential thermal analysis (DTA) performed in situ under high-pressure-high-temperature (HP-HT) conditions, with nitrogen serving as the pressurizing medium. Above the glass transition temperature Tg, a wide ultraviscous, supercooled liquid state spanning approximately 150 K is observed. Later heating transforms this state into nanocrystallites embedded within an amorphous matrix, thereby keeping distinctive structural characteristics even after the decompression process. The p-T plane serves as a fundamental prerequisite for the design of nanocrystallites within a glass matrix, a well-established technique known as glass-ceramics. Various paths within the p-T plane, followed by annealing just below Tg, can be explored, potentially leading to the development of Bi2O3-based materials with enhanced electrical, dielectric, photonic, and mechanical properties, predicated on nanocrystallites formed by high-pressure treatment.

Magnetic domain structure and magneto-transport properties of laser ablated Co40Fe40B20 thin films

We report the magnetic domain structure, and electrical and magnetoresistance properties of laser ablated Co40Fe40B20 (CoFeB) (6 to 36 nm) thin films deposited on SiO2 / Si(001) substrates. Magnetic force microscopy performed on annealed CoFeB thin films revealed larger magnetic domains, which are formed due to strong exchange coupling between the grains. The temperature-dependent sheet resistance of as-deposited thin films revealed that the observed non-metallic behavior is due to intragrain-tunneling and SiO2 inclusions in the amorphous matrix. The metallic behavior of annealed CoFeB thin films is due to electron scattering from grain boundaries and granularity correlated to the formation of nano-crystallites. Thickness and field-dependent magneto-transport studies show higher magnetoresistance values for thinner annealed CoFeB films due to more scattering events upon crystallization, which is consistent with the granular nature of the annealed thin films.

Defects characteristic investigation of bismuth ferrite nanocrystallites through positron annihilation and supportive methods

Phase pure bismuth ferrite (BFO) nanocrystallites were synthesized by sol-gel method. The variation in the time of calcination at 600 °C is used as the parameter to vary the sizes of the nanocrystallites. X-ray diffraction and electron microscopic studies revealed the formation of BFO nanocrystallites of well-defined sizes and morphology. The elemental stoichiometric compositions of the samples were verified using energy dispersive analysis of X-rays and further by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The UV–visible diffuse reflectance spectra showed strong absorption at the wavelength ∼556 nm (2.23 eV) for BFO nanocrystallites of dimensions 20 nm. For nanocrystallites of sizes smaller than this limit, the band gap energies showed remarkable increase due to the onset of quantum confinement effects. The band gap energies showed increase at larger crystallites sizes as well, indicating defects formation due to oxygen deficiencies. Positron annihilation spectroscopy is used to characterize and monitor the defects. The formation of Bi3+-O2- divacancies significantly altered the positron annihilation characteristics at larger crystallite sizes.

Formation of Periodic Surface Structures by Multipulse Femtosecond Laser Processing of Au-Coated Ni in Various Fluids.

Using multipulse linearly polarized femtosecond laser processing of a Au-coated Ni surface in various liquid media created subwavelength self-organized nanoripples. The thin gold film improved the laser absorptivity, decreasing the ripple generation threshold in liquids. High spatial frequency ripples exhibited lower angular deviation than low spatial frequency ones, but in water the deviation was comparable for both types of ripples. The initiation of nanoripples may precede nanoparticle generation, which is why in hexane several cuboid Au particles were trapped between the ripples. Fast cooling processes freeze ejected molten droplets during the phase explosion and surface reorganization. Grazing incidence X-ray diffraction of samples processed in butanol showed a small shift toward smaller angles for the Ni phase, indicating a lattice expansion due to higher tensile stress. Confocal micro-Raman spectroscopy detected surface graphitization and amorphization in areas laser-treated in ethanol, butanol, and hexane, with the highest carbonization observed in butanol. Presumably, femtosecond laser-induced photolysis triggers the formation of graphite nanocrystallites, and consecutive pulses cause amorphization. Static contact angle measurements showed a general tendency toward hydrophobicity with highest contact angles for rippled areas created in butanol.

Tailoring the nanostructure of plasma-deposited CoOX-based thin films for catalytic applications – A step forward in designing nanocatalysts

Among the heterogeneous catalysts based on non-noble metals, cobalt oxides, mainly in the Co3O4 form, are particularly promising materials. Herein, we developed a facile bottom-up approach to synthesize a novel and sophisticated Co3O4-based thin-film material with a tailored nanostructure that is crucial for catalytic properties. The films were produced using a low-pressure plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) process that was thoroughly analyzed. The as-deposited films, in the amorphous form composed of Co, O, C, and H atoms (called CoOX-based films), were thermally treated (calcined), transforming them into films containing Co3O4 nanocrystallites. For a fundamental understanding of the transformation process, the calcination was performed in a controlled manner by Raman spectroscopy using the Raman laser as a heat source. An original model to describe the formation of Co3O4 nanocrystallites was proposed. We have shown that the concentration of Co3O4 and also the number and size of its nanocrystallites in the films can be rationally tailored to the specific needs by selecting the parameters of the PECVD and calcination processes. Our research provides a practical strategy for the molecular design of nanostructured thin-film catalysts in a controllable way using the PECVD process.

Structural, morphological, electrical, and magnetic characteristics of 20MnFe2O4-80SiO2 nanocomposite synthesized by the one-pot auto-combustion route

We report an investigation of the structural, morphological, the ac-dc electrical, magnetic, and Mössbauer spectroscopy properties of 20MnFe2O4-80SiO2 nanocomposite prepared using a one-step and facile auto-combustion approach. XRD pattern shows the formation of MnFe2O4 nanocrystallite without any crystallization of the SiO2 phase. However, the presence of a secondary phase of the nanosized α-Fe2O3 particles was also detected. The morphological analysis showed aggregation of polygonal magnetic nano-crystallites dispersed non-uniformly in a silica matrix. The dc electrical measurements performed on a wide range of temperatures from 120 to 400 K showed the semiconducting nature of the nanocomposite. The temperature dependence of dc conductivity could be perfectly fitted to the nearest neighborhood hopping model with activation energy, ΔENNH, of 0.45 eV. The Nyquist plots demonstrated a nonmonotonous thermally activated trend and non-Debye relaxation behavior. An equivalent circuit was successfully fitted to the complex impedance spectra. The variation of both grain and grain boundary conductivities as a function of temperature exhibited three distinct regions, semiconducting-metallic-semiconducting with different activation energies over the measured temperature window. The provided description of such behavior is further advocated by the ac conductivity and dielectric modulus studies. VSM measurements revealed that the nanocomposite magnetic behavior deviates from the ideal non-interacting superparamagnetic picture, due to the presence of α-Fe2O3 nanocrystalline impurities and relatively intensive exchange interactions between ions. Mössbauer spectra showed the presence of Fe3+ ions with sixfold environment and also confirmed the existence of a sextet related to α-Fe2O3 with a quantity of about 20% out of magnetic components. Fe3+ superparamagnetic doublets were also found within the fitting procedure.

Bandgap engineering of NiO, and enhanced photocatalytic performance by Ca doping

Wide bandgap NiO is vital for the photodegradation of organic molecules like dyes, bacteria, viruses, and for water decontamination. Calcium oxide is another efficient catalyst due to the presence of greater active sites. In this study, CaO molecules were incorporated into the NiO matrix by calcium doping. It was assumed that the incorporation of CaO would enhance the photocatalytic performance of NiO. Pure and calcium substituted NiO samples were prepared by simple co-precipitation method. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffractometer, SEM, UV–visible, and FTIR spectrometer. XRD profiles show the successful formation of NiO and Ca-doped NiO cubic nano crystallites. UV–visible spectroscopy revealed a shift in absorbance peaks toward longer wavelengths and decreased bandgap in Ca-doped samples. Photodegradation study revealed superior photocatalytic performance of doped samples under similar conditions. The improved photocatalytic performance of Ca-doped NiO is attributed to greater active sites and decreased bandgap due to the formation of new energy levels by the impurity addition. This study demonstrates that calcium doping in nickel oxide has enhanced the photodegradation efficiency from 45 % to 98.15 %.

Tuning the resistive switching in tantalum oxide-based memristors by oxygen pressure during low temperature laser synthesis

In this work, we investigate the possibility of controlled tuning the resistive switching of the Pt/TaOх/Ta2O5/Pt/c-Al2O3 memristors in crossbar geometry by changing the oxygen pressure from 0.5 to 50 mTorr during the low-temperature laser synthesis. The stochastic process of nanocrystallite formation significantly affects the spread of memristor parameters. X-ray diffraction studies of the TaOx films with high resolution made it possible to determine the conditions for obtaining the active region of the memristor with the formation of certain size nanocrystallites. The presence of the nanocrystallites in the amorphous matrix of the oxide region of the memristor based on tantalum oxides makes it possible to improve the uniformity and reliability of the resistive switching with an increase in the memory window performance by an order of magnitude. The memristor showed very reliable resistive switching performance over 100 I-V cycles with the memory window performance of RON/ROFF ~ 103 at RESET operating voltage of ~2.3 V.

Mechanistic Investigation of the Formation of Nickel Nanocrystallites Embedded in Amorphous Silicon Nitride Nanocomposites.

Herein, we report the mechanistic investigation of the formation of nickel (Ni) nanocrystallites during the formation of amorphous silicon nitride at a temperature as low as 400 °C, using perhydropolysilazane (PHPS) as a preformed precursor and further coordinated by nickel chloride (NiCl2); thus, forming the non-noble transition metal (TM) as a potential catalyst and the support in an one-step process. It was demonstrated that NiCl2 catalyzed dehydrocoupling reactions between Si-H and N-H bonds in PHPS to afford ternary silylamino groups, which resulted in the formation of a nanocomposite precursor via complex formation: Ni(II) cation of NiCl2 coordinated the ternary silylamino ligands formed in situ. By monitoring intrinsic chemical reactions during the precursor pyrolysis under inert gas atmosphere, it was revealed that the Ni-N bond formed by a nucleophilic attack of the N atom on the Ni(II) cation center, followed by Ni nucleation below 300 °C, which was promoted by the decomposition of Ni nitride species. The latter was facilitated under the hydrogen-containing atmosphere generated by the NiCl2-catalyzed dehydrocoupling reaction. The increase of the temperature to 400 °C led to the formation of a covalently-bonded amorphous Si3N4 matrix surrounding Ni nanocrystallites.

Photon excitation effect on formation of graphene nanocrystallites during carbon film growth process

In this article, we propose a method to deposit nanocrystallite embedded carbon films by electron cyclotron resonance plasma sputtering with photon irradiation cooperated with electron or Ar+ ion irradiation. We found photon irradiation can enhance the growth of graphene nanocrystallites during carbon film deposition. The energy transfer from the photon to the metastable carbon structure excites the growth of sp2 hybridized graphene nanocrystallites, and photon-excited electrons can be accelerated by the bias and further promote the graphene nanocrystallite growth. Photons are the second quantum medium we found that can be used to deposit nanocrystallite embedded carbon films, and their quantum properties with electric neutrality can help us to further understand the formation of the carbon nanocrystallite structure and may shed light on the quantum fabrication of desired materials.

AC conductivity and electrical relaxation of a promising Ag2S-Ge-Te-Se chalcogenide glassy system

In this study, we developed a chalcogenide glassy system comprising (Ag2S)x-(0.4Ge-0.3Te-0.3Se)1-x, where x = 0.05, 0.10, and 0.20. The formation of Ag2S and GeSe2 nanocrystallites with small sizes and the development of GeTe, Ag2GeS3, TeS, and Se5.95Te1.05 phases with high Ag2S contents were confirmed by X-ray diffraction. The Fourier transform-infrared spectra demonstrated the characteristic vibration of Ag–S at 500–600 cm−1. Kinetic analysis of conductivity suggested that the Meyer–Neldel energy was due to polarons hopping from trap to trap induced by multiple phonon excitation. Tunneling of polarons through the grain boundary when x = 0.1 could be interpreted based on the modified non-overlapping small polaron tunneling model. By contrast, the correlated barrier hopping model was more appropriate for explaining the dominant conduction mechanism when x = 0.05 and 0.2. The lower relaxation times when x = 0.05 and 0.2 indicated a higher rate of polaron hopping. The temperature independence of the relaxation process was confirmed based on the scaling process.

Silicon- and tungsten-containing hydrogen-free and hydrogenated amorphous carbon films for friction-reducing applications

For tribological applications, adding Si or W to hydrogen-free a-C or hydrogenated a-C:H is highly beneficial to tailor the film properties. Hence, a direct comparison between Si- and W-containing a-C and a-C:H considerably enhances the understanding of both the interaction between Si or W and the hydrogenation state as well as its effect on the structure and tribo-mechanical properties of these films. Therefore, non-modified a-C(:H), Si-containing a-C(:H):Si, and W-containing a-C(:H):W films were systematically grown in a mid-frequency magnetron sputtering process.The formation of W-based nanocrystallites within a-C(:H):W is identified by x-ray diffraction, whereas a-C(:H):Si still possesses an amorphous character. Raman scattering spectra show higher I(D)/I(G) ratios for hydrogen-free a-C(:X) films compared to the respective a-C(:H):X, indicating a higher number and larger sizes of sp2 clusters in the carbon network. For the hydrogenated a-C:H:X films, the reduced number of sp2 clusters is related to the presence of terminating CH bonds, which were detected as stretching modes. Among the different films, a-C:W has the highest I(D)/I(G) ratio, while a-C:H and a-C:H:Si exhibit the lowest I(D)/I(G) values. While a-C:Si and a-C:H:Si are characterized by comparable hardness values of (18.7 ± 1.3) and (18.4 ± 1.1) GPa, a-C:W has a lower hardness of (13.8 ± 1.0) GPa compared to a-C:H:W with (17.5 ± 0.9) GPa. Among all modified a-C(:H):X films, a-C:Si and a-C:H:Si reveal the lowest coefficients of friction, but show highest wear rates in dry sliding against 100Cr6 steel. Contrarily, a-C:W has higher friction and wear than a-C:H:W. Consequently, the Si-containing a-C(:H):Si films demonstrate comparable tribo-mechanical properties, while the hydrogenation state leads to different tribo-mechanical properties of a-C(:H):W.

Microstructure and defects of 0.1P2O5–0.65ZnO–0.25(xTeO2–(1-x)MoO3) quaternary glass nanocomposites using positron annihilation and correlated experimental methods

This study reports the spectroscopic examination of positron annihilation to characterize structural defects in glass nanocomposite systems of 0.1P2O5–0.65ZnO–0.25(xTeO2–(1-x)MoO3), consisting of two ternary (x = 0.0 and 1.0) and several intermediate quaternary (x = 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.6, and 0.8) samples prepared by the melt quenching process. The lifetimes of the positrons, the relative intensities, and the parameters of the Doppler-broadened lineshape of the positron annihilation gamma ray spectra indicated porous-type defects inside the amorphous glassy matrices formed in samples of x = 0.05–0.2 and free volume defects in interfaces of the newer nanocrystallites at higher stages of modification (x ≥ 0.3). The results of X-ray diffraction confirmed the amorphous character of the samples and transmission electron micrographs confirmed the formation of the nanocrystallites. Selected area electron diffraction patterns revealed that the nanocrystallites were superimposed on the amorphous glass matrices. The spectra of energy-dispersive X-ray analysis revealed the presence of elemental constituents of the nanocomposites according to the required stoichiometries. A detailed Rietveld analysis of the X-ray diffraction patterns was used to identify the dispersed nanocrystallites and ascertain their stoichiometries. The work here is important in the context of developing technologically relevant glass nanocomposites from metal oxides with suitable physical characteristics. However, defects like vacancies that are formed during preparation may play a crucial role in determining their physical properties as well as the formation of free volumes and new nanocrystallites, where the latter were adequately dispersed over the glassy network. This can help transform the material into novel archetypes.

Microstructural and defects characteristics of xV2O5–(1-x)(0.35MoO3–0.65ZnO) glass nanocomposites utilizing positron annihilation spectroscopy and correlated experimental methods

One binary and a few ternary glass nanocomposite systems of the general composition formula xV2O5–(1-x)(0.35MoO3–0.65ZnO), where x varied from 0.0 to 0.95, were prepared via the melt quenching technique and characterized through Transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction method. Positron annihilation lifetime and coincidence Doppler broadening spectroscopy techniques were also utilized to detect various types of defects formed within the samples. The patterns of the X-ray diffraction method revealed distinct diffraction peaks specifying the formation of nanocrystallites in x = 0.0, 0.15 and 0.35 samples.While for x = 0.55, 0.75 and 0.95 samples, significantly broadened patterns were observed, indicating predominant amorphous characteristics. Different shapes and sizes of so-formed nanocrystallites were also confirmed and measured by Transmission electron microscopy images. Moreover, selected area electron diffraction patterns revealed a few bright spots superimposed over diffuse rings, specifying the presence of nanocrystallites over the amorphous glass matrix. Positron annihilation lifetime measurements for x = 0.0, 0.15, and 0.35 samples revealed that positrons were trapped in the intermediate gaps around the nanocrystallites and vacancy types of defects. Positrons were trapped within the porous type defects inside the amorphous glass matrix and in vacancy clusters for x = 0.55, 0.75, and 0.95 samples. Further, coincidence Doppler broadening studies established the formation of vacancy types of defects due to cation non-stoichiometry and amorphousness of the glass nanocomposites.

The effect of transition metal and heavy metal incorporation on the structural, optical and electrical properties of zinc-phosphate ternary glassy system: A comparative study

The present communication reports the effect of the addition of different dopant elements in the zinc-phosphate host glass network having chemical composition 0.30A–(0.55ZnO–0.15P2O5) (A = V2O5, MoO3, and TeO2) that have been prepared through melt quenching technique. The X-ray diffraction patterns reveal the formation of nanocrystallites superimposing over the amorphous glass matrix of all the studied glassy systems, which is also verified by TEM micrographs. The physical characteristics like density and molar volume are examined and discussed in relation to their structural modifications. The FTIR spectra reveal a significant number of distinct characteristic absorption bands owing to different phosphate, molybdate, and vanadate groups. Depending on the different dopant elements, the variations in optical bandgap energies are observed and analyzed. The variations in the bandgap energies from 4.8 eV to 5.79 eV have been measured from the extrapolation of Tauc's plot. Various optical parameters like refractive index, optical density, optical conductivity, dissipation factor, skin depth, and optical basicity have been studied for all glassy systems. The DC and AC conductivity analyses conspicuously reveal that the V2O5 doped sample possesses the highest conductivity among all the investigated glassy systems.