Study on the Path Process of Gd and Mg Doped ZnO Nanostructures by the Sol-gel Method

Abstract

Doping is one of an effective method to modify the physical properties of ZnO material in order to extend its applications. An investigation on Zn_1-xM_xO (M = Gd,Mg and x = 0, 0.03) nanopowders have been synthesized by sol-gel method and sintering at 600^oC for 2 hours were reported.The decomposition process of the dried gel system was investigated by thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) and the nanopowders with different heating temperature were studied using FT-IR spectroscopy. The crystal structure of the nanopowders after sintering 600ºC using  X-ray diffraction (XRD).The TGA curves of the samples showed  the  various  weight  loss  regions correspond to removal of starting materials and no weight loss was observed in the temperature range from 300 to 800ºC corresponding to the phase-crystallization step. The FT-IR spectra, ZnO band is assigned to the stretching frequency at 669 cm^-1 and Gd/Mg doped ZnO at 668 cm^-1, 666 cm^-1. The XRD studies, crystal structure of samples indicates  single  phase ZnO  crystalline and have been  a  hexagonal wurtzite structure (space group P6₃mc)