Title: Luminescence properties of Sn_1−xFe_xO₂ nanoparticles

Authors: Amrut S. Lanje, Raghumani S. Ningthoujam, Satish J. Sharma, Ramchandra B. Pode, Rajesh K. Vatsa

Addresses: Department of Electronics, Dr. Ambedkar College, Chandrapur 442 401, India. ' Chemistry Department, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur 208 016, India; Chemistry Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Center, Mumbai 400 085, India. ' Department of Electronics, R.T.M. Nagpur University, Nagpur 440 033, India. ' Department of Physics, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 130 701, Korea. ' Chemistry Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Center, Mumbai 400 085, India

Abstract: Nanoparticles of Sn_1−xFe_xO₂ (x = 0, 0.02, 0.05, 0.1) have been prepared by co-precipitation method using SnCl₂ and FeSO₄ precursors and subsequent heat-treatment at 600°C. X-ray Diffraction (XRD) study shows that these nanoparticles crystallise in tetragonal system. The unit cell volume increases slightly with Fe²⁺ doping indicating substitution of Sn⁴⁺ sites by Fe²⁺ ions. The unit cell volume increases from 72.24 ų to 72.90 ų as x varies from 0 to 0.1. With increasing Fe²⁺ concentration, the peaks in X-ray diffraction pattern become broad because of strain effect produced from substitution of smaller ionic radius Sn⁴⁺ (0.69 Å) by large one Fe²⁺ (0.77 Å). The average crystallite size was found to decrease from 21 nm to 11 nm as x changed from 0 to 0.1. In Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) study of pure SnO₂, the particles are spherical in shape and particle size is found to be 25 nm, which is close to 21 nm from XRD study. Its Selected Area Electron Diffraction (SAED) confirms the tetragonal system. In infrared study, a broad peak centred around 650 cm¹⁻ was observed due to Sn-O/Fe-O vibration. From steady state luminescence study, it is found that pure SnO₂ and Fe²⁺ doped SnO₂ show the band-edge emission around 400 nm and the emission intensity decreases with increasing Fe²⁺ concentration. The band-edge absorption occurs in 300-350 nm.

Keywords: nanoparticles; luminescence; band-edge emission; nanotechnology; co-precipitation; high-transparency semiconductors; ferromagnetism; dilute magnetic semiconductors; tin dioxide; stannous chloride; ferrous sulphate; ammonia; carbon black powder; iron.

DOI: 10.1504/IJNT.2010.034703

International Journal of Nanotechnology, 2010 Vol.7 No.9/10/11/12, pp.979 - 988

Published online: 17 Aug 2010 *

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