The luminescence behavior of Zn1-xTaxO nanophotonic crystals prepared via Di-N-(2-hydroxyethyl)oleylamin assisted microwave approach.

Semiconducting Zn 1-x Ta x O nanophotonic crystals were synthesized via Di-N-(2-hydroxyethyl)oleylamin assisted microwave approach using tantalum acetylacetonate, zinc acetylacetonate and 8-ethylquinoline N-oxide. The developed Zn 1-x Ta x O nanophotonic crystals exhibited a hexagonal crystalline structures and their lattice constant increased with increasing Ta atoms. The Zn 1-x Ta x O nanostructures demonstrated emission spectrum in the visible region from 354 to 430 nm. The inclusion of Ta atoms in the ZnO QDs enhanced the luminescent light and the quantum yields for ZnO nanocrystals by five orders at concentration of 5 wt%. The change of the power and time of microwave irradiation for the Zn 0.95 Ta 0.05 O nanocrystals instigated shift of the luminescence peak positions toward blue light and a modulation of the optical band gap. The increase of the microwave power to 850 W for 35 min for Ta-doped ZnO at concentration of 5 wt% comprised a remarkable increase of the luminescence intensity 7 times, decreased the emission band width by 5 times and enlarged the quantum yield to 92 %. These outstanding features may render the Zn 0.95 Ta 0.05 O nanocrystals to be used as laser material for the laser diode applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]