Structural and Morphological Properties of Ag and In Co-Doped ZnO Nanoparticles Synthesized by Sol-Gel Method

Zinc oxide has been receiving an enormous attention due to its potential applications in a variety of field such as optoelectronics, spintronics and sensors. Ag and In co-doped ZnO nanoparticles with different doping concentration 0.1M, 0.2M and 0.3M were prepared by sol-gel method via microwave irradiation followed by calcinations at 600°C for 2h. The structure and morphology were examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), respectively. Elemental composition has been estimated by Energy Dispersive X-ray Absorption (EDAX), while chemical properties are studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) . The average particle size of the synthesized ZnO nanoparticles was calculated using the Scherrer formula and is found to be of less than 20 nm. Also the effect on the structure and the morphological properties of ZnO when co-doped with silver and Indium is examined. As the process is simple and low cost, it has the potential to be produced on a large scale.