Tuning the Structural, Photoluminescence, and Radiation Shielding Features of Nano ZnCo₂O₄ through Alloying with CdS Nanoparticles

The present work seeks to develop the functional features of nano ZnCo 2 O 4 by alloying with CdS for applications in optical and shielding devices. Nanocomposites of (1-x)ZnCo 2 O 4 /xCdS (0.0 ≤ x ≤ 0.25) were formed using the solid state and hydrothermal methods. Synchrotron X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were utilized to examine the structure of the developed specimens. Photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy was employed to explore the optical features. The PL spectra showed an emission peak at 449 nm for all samples, however, the intensity of PL decreased via CdS alloying at x = 0.05 and 0.1, while it raised for x = 0.25. The software Phy-X/PSD was employed to explore the parameters of radiation shielding. For all samples, a reduction in the linear attenuation coefficient (LAC) was observed as the photon energy and the CdS content increased. The LAC was enhanced for low energies but reduced for high energies. Also, for photon energies ≤ 120 keV, the mass attenuation coefficient values were studied. ZnCo 2 O 4 alloyed with CdS exhibits higher values of effective ( Z eff ) and equivalent atomic number ( Z eq ) as compared with ZnCo 2 O 4 . The exposure and energy absorption buildup factors were also investigated.