Influences of annealing temperature on structural, magnetic and optical properties of Zn0.98V0.02O nanoparticles

The Zn0.98V0.02O nanoparticles were synthesized by the sol–gel method. The relationship between the annealing temperature (600 °C, 700 °C and 800 °C) and the structural, magnetic and optical properties of the obtained samples was studied. The results showed that Zn ions were partially substituted by V ions. The V doped ZnO nanoparticles annealed at 600 °C and 700 °C were single phase wurtize ZnO structure and they were ferromagnetic at room temperature. On the contrary, the sample annealed at 800 °C had a secondary phase of Zn3V3O8. Therefore it was not saturated even in the field of 10,000 Oe due to the coexistence of ferromagnetic and paramagnetic materials. Photoluminescence results indicated that defects probably were the origin of ferromagnetism in V doped ZnO.