The Effect Of Iron Content On Properties Of Zno Nanoparticles Prepared By Microwave Hydrothermal Method

Iron doped (in the range from 1 to 10 mol %) ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) were obtained by microwave hydrothermal method. The effects of iron content on morphology, crystal structure, optical and magnetic properties of ZnO nanoparticles were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), cathodoluminescence (CL), photoluminescence (PL) and magnetic measurements. XRD studies revealed presence of ZnFe2O4 foreign phase in NPs for iron doping concentrations above 5% placing the solubility limit of Fe in ZnO NPs near this value. The photoluminescence and cathodoluminescence spectra show an increase of the intensity ratio between near band edge (NBE) and deep level emission band (DLE) of ZnO, which is tentatively related by us with intrinsic cracking of ZnO crystals. The blue-shift of NBE band maxima was observed as a concentration of Fe dopant increases. The results of magnetic measurements indicate superparamagnetic behavior of nanoparticles.