Williamson-Hall Method Research Articles

Impact of niobium doping on photocatalytic degradation efficiency of iron oxide nanoparticles for methylene blue dye under UV and sunlight

Iron oxide (Fe2O3) nanoparticles were synthesized using lemon peel extract with niobium (Nb) doping (2, 4, and 6 mmol) via a hydrothermal method. Characterization techniques included FTIR, UV–Vis spectroscopy, XRD, PSA, and zeta potential measurement. FTIR confirmed Nb integration, with Fe-O and Nb-O bonds at 1.65 Å and 1.34 Å. Nb doping reduced particle size (93.74 nm to 56.01 nm) and enhanced stability (zeta potential −13.04 to −37.31 mV). XRD analysis confirmed phase purity and crystalline structure, while the Scherrer and Williamson-Hall methods revealed decreases in crystallite size and lattice strain with higher Nb concentration. Bandgap analysis showed a red shift (3.08 to 2.28 eV) due to Nb-doped energy levels. Nb-doped Fe2O3 (6 mmol) achieved 87 % degradation of methylene blue (10 ppm) under sunlight in 2 h. Enhanced photocatalysis resulted from prolonged electron-hole recombination, generating reactive radicals. These Nb-doped Fe2O3 nanostructures are promising for pollutant degradation in water environments.

Structure, microstructure, and ESR properties of concentration-dependent Zn1-xMnxO nanoparticles

In this study, the estimated stress, strain, and crystallite sizes of different Mn-doped ZnO nanoparticles were calculated using the Williamson-Hall method and compared with the values obtained from the Debye-Scherrer formula. Moreover, defects, and magnetic properties of Mn-doped ZnO nanoparticles at different concentrations were investigated. The sol-gel method was used to synthesize nanoparticles. The X-ray diffraction and Rietveld analysis results confirm that the desired structure is formed and that no secondary phase is present up to an Mn concentration of x=0.2. In and out of plane lattice parameters, cell volumes, bond length, atomic locality, and dislocation density (δ) were clarified. The grain size of the concentration-dependent samples was provided by scanning electron microscope. Photoluminescence (PL) spectra exhibited ultraviolet emission along with a broad band encompassing violet, blue, and red regions, attributed to defect-related and excitonic emissions. These emissions were notably influenced by synthesis conditions and doping elements and ratios. Electron spin resonance properties of the concentration-dependent samples were analyzed to figure out the g-factor through line widths of pike-to-pike (ΔHPP) of ESR spectra. Mn-doped ZnO nanoparticles exhibited ferromagnetism at room temperature.

Structural Parameters of CVD Synthesized Ga2O3 Nanostructures from X-ray Diffraction Analysis Derived by Scherrer, Williamson-Hall, Size-Strain Plot and Halder-Wagner Methods- A Comparative Study

Gallium oxide () nanostructures (NSs) have been synthesized by hydrogen-reducing chemical vapor deposition method at various substrate angles. X-ray diffraction (XRD) study confirms the polycrystalline nature of the NSs with monoclinic structure. Here, a series of X-ray peak profile analysis models such as Scherrer method, Monshi-Scherrer (M-S) plot, Williamson-Hall (W-H) plot, Size-Strain plot (S-S-P) and Halder-Wagner (H-W) technique have been utilized to estimate the crystallite size and lattice strain. All the models are evaluated with their merits and demerits in detail, and the structural parameters determined from different models are compared. Among the X-ray peak profile analysis methods, S-S-P method is the most suitable since the data points more accurately fit in this method with the highest average goodness of fit, value. It has also been suggested that the anisotropic strain could have increased and shifted to lower angles crystallographic reflections as the substrate angle was 67.5 .

Enhanced biocompatibility and antibacterial efficacy of CuO-HAp nanocomposite for hard tissue regeneration and repair

This study focuses on the synthesis and characterization of CuO-decorated HAp composites for potential biomedical applications, particularly in hard tissue regeneration. XRD analysis confirmed the coexistence of CuO and HAp phases, with CuO influencing the crystallinity of HAp without altering its lattice parameters. Williamson-Hall (W-H) method analysis showed a significant increase in the crystallite size of CuO by approximately 92.7%, while the crystallite size of HAp decreased by 19.4% in the CuO-HAp composite. FTIR spectroscopy verified the successful integration of CuO and HAp in the nanocomposite while SEM and TEM revealed the morphological interaction between CuO nanoflakes and HAp nanorods. The antimicrobial activity of CuO-HAp demonstrated an 8.7% larger zone of inhibition against Escherichia coli compared to Staphylococcus aureus. The composite also exhibited superior antioxidant properties compared to ascorbic acid and showed improved hemocompatibility. Zebrafish embryo toxicity assays confirmed the non-toxic nature of the composite. Although in vitro cytotoxicity assays with Saos-2 cells indicated slightly reduced viability and proliferation due to CuO’s inherent cytotoxicity, the CuO-HAp composite enhanced cellular responses, highlighting its potential for tissue engineering and other biomedical applications.

Influence of cooling rate on microstructure, dislocation density, and associated hardness of laser direct energy deposited Inconel 718

This work deals with the effect of cooling rate on microstructure, dislocation density, and microhardness of laser direct energy deposited Inconel 718. Thermocycles were captured during direct energy deposition process using an infrared pyrometer. Cooling rate was estimated from the thermocycles at various laser powers and scanning speeds. In addition, a numerical model was developed to calculate cooling rate at different laser process parameters, and the same was verified with the experimental results. Microstructure and phases of the direct energy deposited Inconel 718 were observed using a scanning electron microscope and X-ray diffractometer, respectively. Top layer of the cladding was found to consist of fine equiaxed grains, whereas columnar dendrites were observed at the interface region of cladding layer and substrate. This is attributed to the variation in cooling rates between the top layer of the cladding and the interface region. γ, γ′, γ″ and Laves phases were identified to be the primary phases in the cladding layer. Moreover, niobium content was found to be high and varying with the cooling rate in the direct energy deposited Inconel 718. Dislocation density at varying scanning speed, i.e., cooling rate was estimated using the Williamson-Hall method. An increase in the dislocation density and concomitant improvement in the hardness was found with an increase in the cooling rate.

Structural Modifications of CdS/Graphene Oxide with Ionic Dopants of Fe/Ag for Degradation of Methylene Blue

Global demand for pollution removal agents requires advanced materials to provide a good protocol to keep clean water resources. The composition of CdS was modified with ionic dopants including iron (Fe) and silver (Ag) and is incorporated into graphene oxide (GO) nanoparticles. The obtained compositions are CdS, Fe-CdS, Ag-CdS, CdS@GO, Fe-CdS@GO, and Ag-CdS@GO that have been fabricated by the co-precipitation method and examined by several techniques to estimate the morphological, optical, and structural properties using TEM, SEM, UV–Vis analysis, and XRD. The crystallite size of the CdS@Go was measured using the Williamson-Hall (W–H) method and was found to be around 28.6 nm. Furthermore, the a-axis was found to be 5.78 Å and 5.80 Å for cubic crystals and the a-axis achieved 14.28 to 14.24 Å for an orthorhombic crystal of CdS, respectively. The average roughness varied from 32.30 ± 3.3 to 66.65 ± 10.9 nm for CdS and Ag-CdS@GO. The degradation of methylene blue (MB) is increased from 75.56, 73.87, 76.01, 81.53, 89.34, and 91.68% for CdS, Fe-CdS, Ag-CdS, CdS@GO, Fe-CdS@GO, and Ag-CdS@GO after 60 min of exposure under visible light irradiation. The pseudo-first-order constant (Kapp) is increased from 4.4 × 10−3 to 39.4 × 10−3 min−1 for CdS and Ag-CdS@GO.

Study of substrate dependent microstructural properties of sputtered Mo/CZTS heterojunctions using X ray diffraction

Thin films of CZTS (Cu2ZnSnS4) were deposited using radiofrequency sputtering (RF) at varying sputtering powers on soda lime glass coated with molybdenum (Mo). Direct current (DC) sputtering was used to deposit Mo thin films at various sputtering powers. Rapid thermal processing (RTP) was employed to anneal the thin films that had been deposited at temperatures of 300, 400, and 500 °C. X ray diffraction (XRD) technique was used to probe thin films structurally. The microstructural characteristics, such as crystallite size and microstrain, were calculated. These properties, particularly crystallite size and microstrain, are critical in future applications as an absorber layer in a thin film solar cell. A comprehensive comparative study has been carried out using Scherrer method, Williamson-Hall method, Halder-Wagner method, Size-Strain plot method, and Wagner-Aqua method. Crystallite size and microstrain obtained in this work shows strong dependence on preferential orientation of DC sputtered Mo base layer. Crystallite size, microstrain measured shows similar trends. Microstrain obtained exhibits systematic relationship with variation in deposition parameters of DC sputtered Mo thin films and RF sputtered CZTS thin films. This dependency of CZTS microstructural features on base layer Mo growth conditions can be used in the future to apply CZTS as a solar cell absorber layer.

ZnO/SnO2 based composite heterostructure for NO2 gas sensing properties

In recent years, interest in heterostructures and research on them has been increasing day by day. While semiconductors mainly exhibit different characteristics, they can exhibit different characteristics when they come together to form a heterostructure, and investigating the reasons for these is of great interest. For this purpose, in this study, such a hetero structure (ZnO/SnO2) was obtained by the Sol-Gel Dip Coating (SGDC) combined method and its effects on its characteristics against NO2 gas were tried to be examined.In this study, SnO2/ZnO composite heterostructures were grown by SGDC method. In this sense, this study is a first in the literature in terms of enlarging this structure with the SGDC technique. The number of SnO2 cycles was kept constant at 1 cycles and the ZnO layers were at different cycles as 1, 2, 3 and 5. The effect of ZnO cycles number on structural, morphological and most importantly NO2 gas detection properties was investigated in the formed heterostructures. In the XRD results, both ZnO and SnO2 peaks were observed and it was determined that these peaks belonged to the hexagonal wurtzite phase for ZnO and to the tetragonal rutile phase for SnO2. The lattice strain and crystallite size were calculated using Williamson-Hall and Scherrer method. The SEM images of ZnO-SnO2 manifest the change in the microstructure with increasing ZnO layer. The microstructure consisted of thin crystalline plates and small round-shape particles. The nano plates and walls shape and size changed with increasing ZnO layers. The operating temperature was defined as 165 °C for all sensors from NO2 gas sensing measurements. The responses of 1 ppm NO2 gas concentrations were calculated as 20 %, 201 %, 1078 % and 676 % for Z1S1, Z2S1, Z3S1 and Z5S1 heterosturucture respectively.

Unravelling the effect of crystal lattice compression on the supercapacitive performance of hydrothermally grown nanostructured hollandite α-MnO2 induced by incremental growth time

Manganese oxide (α-MnO2) nanoparticles are highly recognised for their use in supercapacitor applications. This study demonstrates the successful synthesis of flower-like and nanorods hollandite α-MnO2 by a simple one-pot hydrothermal technique at various reaction times. The synthesised nanoparticles were characterised by various physicochemical and electrochemical characterisation techniques. The influence of the various reaction times on the structural and morphological properties was evaluated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope. XRD patterns revealed that the synthesized MnO2 nanoparticles are tetragonal structures with crystallite sizes ranging from 13.69 to 20.37 nm estimated from the Williamson–Hall method. Moreover, the functional groups and surface area were examined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and Bruner–Emmert–Teller, respectively. Furthermore, the compositional elements were studied by X-ray photoemission spectroscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Finally, the electrochemical performances were studied using cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge–discharge and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The GCD characteristics revealed that the optimised α-MnO2 has a good capacitive behaviour, which predicts the potential application in energy storage. Electrochemical studies revealed that the 3 h-MnO2 sample exhibited a superior electrochemical behaviour and demonstrated a high specific capacitance of 132 F/g at a current density of 1A/g.

Exploring the Multifunctional Properties of (Sr, Ni)‐Co‐Doped BaTiO3: Structural Characterization and Electromagnetic Characteristics

The structural and electromagnetic properties of various Ba1−x(Sr0.5Ni0.5)xTiO3 are extensively investigated. X‐ray diffraction and Rietveld refinement are used to perform a structural study. With doping substances, bulk and theoretical densities decrease. The crystallite size is calculated using Scherrer and Williamson–Hall method. The microstructural properties are examined using images from field‐emission scanning electron microscope. The observed values of dielectric constants are found to agree with the porosity‐corrected dielectric constants. The nonlinear modified Debye equation (NLMDE) displays a reasonable goodness of fit value for the first five samples. A small polaron hopping mechanism may be responsible for the frequency‐dependent AC conductivity observed in all samples confirming the Jonscher power law. It is discovered that permeability initially increases and then decreases with doping substances. Initial permeability, experimental data from the magnetic hysteresis (M–H) curve, and law‐of‐approach‐to‐saturation techniques show that Ba0.85(Sr0.5Ni0.5)0.15TiO3 and Ba0.75(Sr0.5Ni0.5)0.25TiO3 ceramics have enhanced electromagnetic properties. These ceramics are useful for fabricating electromagnetic sensors.

Zeolitic imidazolate framework-67/barium zirconate titanate nanocomposite, Part I: Synthesis, characterization, and boosted photocatalytic activity

Using BaTi0.85Zr0.15O3/ZIF-67 (BTZ/ZIF-67) nanocomposite, tetracycline (TC) was photodegraded. Characterization of the samples was carried out using a variety of techniques, including XRD, FESEM-EDS (Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy – Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy), FT-IR (Fourier Transform Infra-Red), TEM (Transmission Electron Microscopy), BET (Brunauer-Emmett-Teller), BJH (Barrett-Joyner-Halenda), PL (Photoluminescence), TG-DTG (Thermogravimetry and Derivative Thermogravimetry), and UV–Vis DRS (Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy). BTZ/ZIF-67 nano-composites were synthesized using a one-step co-precipitation method. BTZ (30 %wt)/ZIF-67 showed the most impressive photocatalytic ability among the binary photocatalysts. Averaging the crystallite sizes of the nanocomposite samples identified by Scherrer and Williamson-Hall methods was 43.3 nm and 65.0 nm, respectively. The pHpzc values of samples of BTZ and BTZ (30 %wt)/ZIF-67 were approximately 6.7 and 10.0, respectively. Using the proposed method, we measured 357, 414, and 377 nm absorption edges for ZIF-67, BTZ, and BTZ (30 %wt)/ZIF-67 samples, which correspond to 3.47, 2.99, and 3.28 eV bandgap energies, respectively. The specific surface areas of BTZ, ZIF-67, and BTZ (30 %wt)/ZIF-67 nanocomposite are 122.15, 1218, and 1509 m2g−1, respectively. Under optimum conditions (0.8 g/L of the catalyst, CTC: 30 mg/L, and a pH 5), 89.5 % of total organic carbon (TOC) was removed within 180 min. Compared to BTZ photocatalyst, the BTZ (30 %wt)/ZIF-67 nanocomposite has a significantly larger surface area, thus enhancing photocatalytic activity. A synergistic effect was observed in the photodegradation of TC under Hg-lamp irradiation with the proposed BTZ/ZIF-67 composite. It is possible to alter the photocatalytic activity of the catalyst by changing the BTZ (30 %wt)/ZIF-67 ratio.

Tin-doped titanium dioxide film-enhanced electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution

Electrocatalyst water-splitting based on metal oxide nanocomposites has gained considerable interest in hydrogen evolution applications. Here, undoped titanium dioxide and tin-doped titanium dioxide films (TiO2 and Sn/TiO2, respectively) are presented for highly efficient H2 production applications. The crystal structure analysis is performed by analyzing the XRD patterns using the Rietveld refinement method and the Williamson-Hall method. XRF scans are used to confirm the doping mechanism between Sn and TiO2. The bandgap energies of undoped TiO2 and Sn/TiO2 films are 3.33 and 3.15 eV, respectively. On the other hand, the electrical conductivity values of undoped TiO2 and Sn/TiO2 films are 0.10 and 0.25 mS.cm−1, respectively. The electrochemical H2 production performance of undoped TiO2 and Sn/TiO2 films is investigated through two different methods: potentiostat measurements and analytical methods. It can be concluded that the Sn/TiO2 film exhibits higher HER performance and H2 production efficiency than the undoped TiO2 film.

Tunable annealing effect to enhance structural and magnetic properties of spinel cobalt magnesium ferrite nanoparticles

Cobalt magnesium ferrite nanoparticles, with the chemical formula Co0.5Mg0.5Fe2O4 (CMFO), were synthesized via co-precipitation and subjected to annealing at 200–800 °C with a step size of 200. Thermal analysis for the as-dried sample was investigated through thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential thermal analysis (DTA). The presence of a plateau region in the DTA curve above 366 °C, combined with the slight weight loss noted in the TGA curve, indicates that the ferrite sample, specifically CMFO, has successfully transitioned into its final phase. X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis unveiled the formation of spinel CMFO NPs belonging to the Fd-3m space group. The Williamson–Hall method showed particle size increasing from 8.20 to 52.15 nm and tensile microstrain decreasing from 6.90 to 1.84 × 10−3 with higher annealing temperatures, noted by the shift of the (311) plane. TEM images confirmed the formation of smaller nanoparticles with minimal agglomeration. Particles of nearly uniform size are achieved at the optimum annealing temperature of 600 °C, owing to its narrow distribution profile. The experimental magnetization data were analyzed using the Langevin function and the law of approach to saturation to determine the saturation magnetization, spanning from 15.46 to 43.90 emu/g. The magnetic characteristics of the annealed samples exhibited a rise in coercive force, reaching up to 349.74 Oe with the elevation of the annealing temperature. The range of attributes exhibited by CMFO makes it highly advantageous for various applications, including sensor technology, high-frequency devices, and energy storage devices.

Polaron assisted hopping mechanism in microwave processed Nd doped second layered aurivillius SrBi2Nb2O9 ceramics

The polycrystalline Sr0.8Sn0.2Bi1.75Nd0.25Nb2O9 (NdSBN) was synthesized using the green synthesis microwave sintering method, which significantly reduced the processing parameters of the NdSBN ceramics. Orthorhombic crystal structure with A21am symmetry was revealed by Rietveld refinement study, whereas the doping-induced strain and crystallite size was studied using the Williamson Hall method. Crossectional SEM micrographs confirm the plate-like structure, with an average grain size of 273.7 nm. A diffuse type of phase transition was observed at 345 °C, which usually arises due to compositional fluctuations and mobile oxygen vacancies; further, the diffusiveness of the NdSBN was studied using Uchino and Nomura function, a modified version of Curie-Weiss law (CW). The frequency and temperature-dependent dielectric study of NdSBN ceramics display a Maxwell-Wagner relaxation with a high loss in a low frequency regime, possibly due to the presence of leakage current in the solid solution. Frequency dependent AC conductivity obeys Jonscher's power law, whereas DC conductivity supports polaron assisted hopping in NdSBN composition with dual activation energies of 0.55 eV and 0.75 eV, which correspond to electrons and ions, respectively. The non-Debye type relaxation mechanism in conjunction with negative temperature coefficient of resistance (NTCR) behavior was demonstrated by temperature dependent impedance spectroscopy, while modulus spectroscopy confirmed the multiple relaxation processes in NdSBN ceramics.

Growth of CuO NPs layers on TiO2 NTs using vacuum thermal evaporation

CuO/TiO2 composites have been reported to exhibit higher potential for various applications (electronics, energy storage, and sensor technology…). This study investigates the impact of different film thicknesses on the properties of CuO NPs on TiO2 NTs. CuO NPs were deposited onto TiO2 NTs using vacuum thermal evaporation, with thicknesses ranging from 5 to 30 nm. A quartz crystal monitor measured evaporation rate and film thickness at a substrate temperature of 350 °C. Following the deposition process, the samples were thermally treated through air annealing at 400 °C for 1 h.XRD analysis showed that all films had an anatase phase. The annealed sample also had a confirmed CuO phase, indicating good crystallinity. Crystallite size and strain varied with film thickness, assessed using the Williamson-Hall method and Rietveld refinement. The deposition and distribution of CuO on TiO2 NTs were verified using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) combined with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). Optimizing the materials nanostructures requires controlling film thickness and annealing. Insights from this study can improve nanomaterial fabrication techniques, which could enhance their performance in technological applications.

Unveiling Elegant In-Situ Properties: Structure and Vibrations of the Polymer Solution Synthesised BaFe12O19

The discovery of hexagonal ferrites has significantly contributed to various technological applications due to their unique ferromagnetic characteristics. This article employs the polymer solution technique for the first time in the synthesis of M-type hexaferrite, specifically BaFe12O19 (BaM). The polycrystalline nature of the BaM nanoparticles (NPs) is confirmed through X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, revealing a hexagonal structure within the P63/mmc space group. The study utilized the Scherrer method to assess the average crystallite size while utilizing the Williamson-Hall (W-H), Halder-Wagner (H-W), and Wagner-Auga (W-A) methods for a thorough analysis of XRD peak broadening, aiming to understand the relationship between crystallite size and intrinsic strain, demonstrating a high intercorrelation among the obtained results. In this work, XRD peak broadening analysis has been carried out by different models for the first time on BaM NPs. Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy was employed to designate the vibration behavior of chemical bonds, which confirms the formation of the hexagonal structure of BaM NPs. To assess the impact of excitation laser power in Raman spectroscopy, a study conducted a comprehensive analysis, comparing Raman spectra across excitation powers varied at 0.1 %, 0.5 %, 1 %, 5 %, and 10 %, maintaining a constant exposure time of 30 s throughout the experiment. Examination through Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) reveals a hexagonal rod-shaped morphology, with an average particle size falling within the range of 100 to 240 nanometers. The present study provides detailed insights about the structural, morphological, and compositional characteristics of BaM NPs for their utilization in high-frequency application. It shows a reflection loss (RL) of -13.68 dB at frequency of 10.3 GHz, with an absorption bandwidth of -10 dB spanning 0.42 GHz having 5 mm sample thickness.

Size-strain distribution analysis from XRD peak profile of (Mg, Fe) co-doped SnO2 nanoparticles fabricated using chemical co-precipitation route

In this study, we synthesize pristine and (Mg, Fe) co-doped SnO2 nanoparticles using the chemical co-precipitation method, where the Mg doping amount is fixed (2 mol%) and the amount of Fe is varied between 2 and 6 mol%. The narrow and sharp natures of intense XRD peaks notify that the crystallinity is pretty well. The formation of the single-phase tetragonal rutile type structure of all prepared compounds has been identified by Rietveld refinement, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and Raman spectroscopy. Moreover, the well incorporation of Fe and Mg in SnO2 and absence of any other unexpected elements are confirmed by the energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. How the co-doping of Mg and Fe alter the crystallite size, microstrain, and dislocation density of the prepared samples have been investigated by Scherrer method with various modified version of it, Williamson-Hall method (W–H) in three factions (UDM, USDM, and UDEDM), Size strain plot (SSP) method, Halder-Wagner (H–W) method, Wagner-Aqua (W-A) method, and Warren-Averbach (WA) method. The obtained crystallite size using the WA method is smaller than the other methods and Scherrer-based methods show much comparable (except SLMSE) sizes. Additionally, the W–H, H–W, SSP, and W-A plots show almost similar tendency of decreasing crystal size, increasing dislocation density and lattice strain with increasing doping. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) profiles revealed that the synthesized nanoparticles are agglomerated in nature, where the agglomeration increases with decreasing crystal size. The magnetic response of the prepared samples revealed a weak ferromagnetic (or soft magnetic) nature, where saturation magnetization increased due to doping, and a reducing trend of remanent magnetization and coercivity was explored which indicates the phase transition from ferromagnetic to paramagnetic. However, this soft magnetic nature was modified with the influence of defects like changes in lattice parameters, strain, and oxygen vacancy. This phase transition at higher doping concentration makes our nanomaterial as a suitable contender for memory devices, hyperthermia treatment, and photothermal effect.

Two Dimensional Structured Electrode of Nickel Oxide for Enhanced Capacitive Behaviour

Two-dimensional (2D) nickel oxide (NiO) was synthesized using carbon as templates in a single step hydrothermal route. X-ray diffraction studies revealed the formation of a single phase NiO. Crystallite size and strain in the as synthesized material were calculated using the Williamson-Hall method and Size-Strain plot. UV-Vis spectroscopy investigations provided insight into the absorption region and optical band gap of NiO, including refractive index analysis. The optical absorption indicated that the material absorbs in both UV and part of visible region, with a reduced band gap of 1.9 eV. Microstructural analysis of NiO was carried out by using high resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM) which confirmed the presence of nanosheets. The selected area electron diffraction pattern (SAEDP) of the corresponding area revealed the polycrystalline nature of the as synthesized NiO, with fine crystallites oriented along (111) and (220) planes. Morphological analysis was performed using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), revealing the presence of 2D nano-sheets. Elemental compositional analysis was carried by using energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) as an attachment of FESEM and TEM, which showed the presence of nickel and oxygen only. Nyquist plot and cyclic voltammetry depicts the capacitive behaviour, suggesting the material’s suitability for capacitor/supercapacitor applications.

Comparative microstructural analysis of V2O5 nanoparticles via x-ray diffraction (XRD) technique

Vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) nanoparticles exhibit diverse properties and have been studied for a wide range of applications, including energy storage, catalysis, environmental remediation, and material enhancement. In this work, we have reported the synthesis of vanadium pentaoxide (V2O5) nanoparticles using hydrothermal method. Ammonium metavanadate (NH4VO3) was used as a source of vanadium. These syntheses were carried out at four different concentrations of vanadium source. The hydrothermal reaction was conducted at a temperature of 180 °C for a duration of 24 hours, followed by an additional 24 hours period of natural cooling. Four samples were annealed in air using a muffle furnace at 500 °C for five hours. The x-ray diffraction technique was used to study the structural aspects. A comparative analysis of the microstructure was conducted utilizing the Scherrer method, the Williamson–Hall method and its various models, size-strain analysis, and the Halder–Wagner method. The crystallite size and microstrain were determined using these distinct methods, revealing a systematic correlation between the crystallite size and microstrain obtained through the different techniques.

Synthesis of copper oxide (CuO) via coprecipitation method: Tailoring structural and optical properties of CuO nanoparticles for optoelectronic device applications

Oxide-based nanoparticles have been studied extensively due to their unique optical and passivation properties, which are significantly distinct from those of bulk materials. The present study aimed to synthesize copper oxide nanoparticles through the co-precipitation method. The adequate substitution of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) into CuO is analyzed by different characterizations, i.e., X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), UV–visible spectroscopy (UV–visible), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and EDX. The X-ray diffraction spectra indicate that the prepared copper oxide nanoparticles were crystalline, nano-sized, and highly pure. The SEM micrographs showed that nanoparticles were spherical at lower contents of NaOH, while at higher contents, agglomeration of nanoparticles occurs, and the grain size changes. The decreased optical bandgap of the nanoparticles was observed due to different concentrations of sodium hydroxide. The crystalline size and strain values were also determined through the Williamson-Hall method. The compressive micro-stain in CuO materials confirms the negative slope value of the line fit in the W–H Plot. From this study, we concluded that synthesized CuO NPs have the potential to combine CuO materials with antireflecting films for improved optical performance in optoelectronic devices, precisely current density properties.