| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1494648 | Optical Materials | 2014 | 6 Pages |
•Ultrasound assisted synthesis of ZnO:Au nanorods.•Lattice expansion in ZnO with Au incorporation.•ZnO:Au shows high UV absorbance to be used as UV blocking agents.•Enhanced PL emission in green region may find application in LEDs.
Au doped ZnO (ZnO:Au) nanostructures were synthesized by ultrasound assisted wet chemical method. The concentration of dopant was varied and both structural and optical properties of ZnO:Au were investigated. The crystal structure and morphology of the samples were examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). These results showed the formation of nanorods of ZnO:Au having wurtzite structure and c-axis orientation. Gradual increase in crystallite size and bond length was also observed with the increase in gold concentration in ZnO intending the expansion of lattice after gold doping. The optical absorption measurements showed high ultraviolet (UV) absorbance property of ZnO:Au with sharp and intense absorption band in this region as compared to pristine ZnO. Photoluminescence (PL) measurements showed excitonic emission band of ZnO around 390 nm for both undoped and Au doped ZnO nanoparticles. Further, a strong emission around 467 nm was observed in the PL spectra of ZnO/ZnO:Au which was attributed to the transitions related to excess of oxygen vacancies. Interestingly, a new band was observed at 582 nm for doped ZnO samples which grew in intensity with doping concentration. This band was ascribed to the gold nanoparticle adsorbed on the surface of ZnO.
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