Improvement of radiation stability of ZnO powder by modification with CeO2 nanoparticles.

The purpose of the paper is to study the efficiency of modification with CeO2 nanoparticles (average particle size — 20–30 nm) in a concentration range from 0.1 to 10 wt.% aimed at improving the optical features and radiation stability of micron-sized ZnO powders. The optimal concentration of CeO2 nanoparticles, 3 wt.%, was determined. The change of the solar absorptance in a range of 0.2 to 2.2 µm after electron irradiation of the modified powder (E = 30 keV, F = 2·1016 cm−2) is 1.41 less compared to the unmodified powder. The paper demonstrates that the increase in radiation stability of zinc oxide powders modified with cerium dioxide nanoparticles is provided by two mechanisms: relaxation of primary defects on nanoparticles and capture of formed free electrons by cations of a rare-earth element. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]