Synthesis and photoluminescent properties of mesoporous (MgO)x(ZnO)1−x materials

(MgO)x(ZnO)1−x materials have been synthesized using mesoporous carbon as template. By increasing the MgO content in the materials greater than 25%, the (MgO)x(ZnO)1−x materials began to form the mesoporous structure. Pore size distribution curves indicated that the BJH pore diameter decreased with increasing MgO content. In photoluminescence spectra, all the samples except pure ZnO showed both the band-edge emission and the deep-level emission (green band). It was interesting to note that the UV emission peak energy (EUV) had a red-shift of about 48 meV at the low MgO content range of 0–25%, while when the MgO content varied from 25 to 75%, the EUV displayed a blue-shift of about 36 meV to the higher energy direction. The optical band gap (Eg) of the (MgO)x(ZnO)1−x calculated from the absorption spectra was far smaller than that in literature, and this may be related to the formation of mesoporous structure.