Synthesis and characterizations of new morphological ZnO and Ce-doped ZnO powders by sol–gel process

ZnO micro-tori and cerium-doped hexangulars ZnO have been prepared by the sol–gel method under methanol hypercritical conditions of temperature and pressure. X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurement has revealed the high crystalline quality and the nanometric size of the samples. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) has shown that the ZnO powder has a torus-like shape while that of ZnO:Ce has a hexangular-like shape, either standing free or inserted into the cores of ZnO tori. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) has revealed that the ZnO particles have sizes between 25 and 30 nm while Ce-doped ZnO grains have diameters ranging from 75 nm to 100 nm. It is demonstrated from photoluminescence (PL) spectra at room temperature that the introduction of cerium in ZnO reduces the emission intensity lines, particularly the ZnO red and green ones.