Sol-gel Auto Combustion Synthesis, Structural and Magnetic Properties of Mn doped ZnO Nanoparticles

Mn2+ doped ZnO nanoparticles were synthesized by sol-gel auto combustion technique. The effects of Mn2+ doping on the structural and magnetic properties of ZnO nanoparticles were investigated. Synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction technique (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The hexagonal wurtzite structure with single phase of Mn2+ doped ZnO nanoparticles were confirmed by XRD analysis. The average crystallite size determined by Scherrer's formula was found in the range 14-17 nm. It is observed that the lattice parameter, volume of unit cell, X-ray density, and atomic packing fraction increase with increasing Mn2+ content. FTIR analysis revealed a slight change in main absorption band of ZnO in the frequency range of 500-1000 cm−1. Magnetic characterization was performed using vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) and, which evidenced the properties of pure ZnO and Mn doped ZnO nanoparticles showed the diamagnetic and paramagnetic behaviour respectively.