Synthesis, Structural and Optical Properties of Co Doped Sm₂O₃ Nanostructures

Abstract

In the present investigation Co doped Sm2O3 nanostructures (NS) with different concentrations (1%, 3% and 8%) synthesized by thermal decomposition and surface reduction methods using sodium hydroxide as precipitating agent. Flake-like shaped semiconductor crystal features, morphology, optical absorptivity, chemical composition determined by XRD (X-ray diffraction), SEM (scanning electron microscopy) and UV-Visible. Flake-like morphology of the NS observed in SEM analysis having grain size varies in between 80 and 96 nm. XRD pattern depicted mixed phase of cubic crystal structure with crystallite size lying between 36.8 and 29.9 nm. Red shift in the optical absorptivity was observed in the spectrum, and spectral shift from ultraviolet to visible region with optical band gap (Eg) value decreases from 4.33 to 2.01 eV. Upon excitation with ultraviolet radiation (excitation = 300 nm), NS showed red emission in all concentrations of Co dopant and maximal emission intensity appeared at 485.5 nm for 8% of Co dopant concentration. The NS finds prominent utility in the field of optoelectronics and photoelectronic applications.