Structural, optical and magnetic properties of Cu and V co-doped ZnO nanoparticles

Abstract: Zn0.98−x Cu x V0.02O (x=0, 0.01, 0.02 and 0.03) samples were synthesized by the sol–gel technology to dope up to 3% Cu in ZnO. Investigations of structural, optical and magnetic properties of the samples have been done. The results of X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscope (TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) indicated that the V and Cu ions were incorporated into the crystal lattices of ZnO. With Cu doping concentration increasing up to 2at%, the XRD results showed that all diffraction peaks corresponded to the wurtzite structure of ZnO. Photoluminescence (PL) measurements showed that Zn0.98−x Cu x V0.02O powders exhibited that the position of the ultraviolet (UV) emission peak of the samples showed an obvious red-shift and the green emission peak enhanced significantly with Cu doping in ZnVO nanoparticle. Magnetic measurements indicated that room temperature ferromagnetism (RTFM) of Zn0.98−x Cu x V0.02O was an intrinsic property when Cu concentration was less than 3at%. The saturation magnetization (M s) of Zn0.98−x Cu x V0.02O (x=0, 0.01 and 0.02) increased with the increase of the Cu concentration. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]