Cu-doped ZnO nanoparticles: Synthesis, structural and electrical properties

Pure and Cu doped ZnO nanopowders (5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 at% Cu) have been synthesized using co-precipitation method. Transmission Electron Microscopic analysis has shown the morphology of ZnO nanopowders to be quasi-spherical. Powder X-ray Diffraction studies have revealed the systematic doping of Cu into the ZnO lattice up to 10% Cu, though the peaks corresponding to CuO in 10% Cu are negligibly very small. Beyond this level, there was segregation of a secondary phase corresponding to the formation of CuO. Fourier Transform Infrared spectra have shown a broad absorption band at ∼490 cm⁻¹ for all the samples, which corresponds to the stretching vibration of Zn-O bond. DC electrical resistivity has been found to decrease with increasing Cu content. The activation energy has also been observed to decrease with copper doping i.e. from ∼0.67 eV for pure ZnO to ∼0.41 eV for 30 at% Cu doped ZnO.     

LiFe5O8 prepared by sol–gel synthesis: microstructural and morphological effects by organic and inorganic templates

Lithium ferrite was prepared using a sol–gel growth process using different fuels and inorganic templates. The aim of this study is to evaluate the influence of inorganic template agent like KCl, KBr and KI as well as the effect of different fuels like urea, glycine and citric acid on the morphology change of lithium ferrite. The structure, morphology and magnetic properties of the ferrite were investigated using powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Infrared red spectroscopy and vibrating sample magnetometer. Thermal decomposition studies reveal the formation of lithium ferrite at a low temperature ~440 °C. Powder XRD pattern has shown the formation of a single α-phase lithium ferrite except the sample with inorganic template KBr, in which the presence of hematite as a secondary phase was observed. Scanning electron microscopy studies show that the structural morphology is highly sensitive to the inorganic template as well as on the fuel. The rod shaped nanoparticles are observed with the inorganic template KCl and KBr. The decrease in grain size is observed for LiFe₅O₈/glycine as compared to LiFe₅O₈/citric acid and flake shaped dense particles are observed for LiFe₅O₈/urea. The magnetic properties of the ferrite have also been investigated.