Effect of (Mn, Ce) Substitution on Physicochemical Characteristics of ZnO Nanoparticles

This report presents the synthesis of pure and (Mn, Ce) co-doped ZnO nanoparticles; Zn (1−x−y) Mn x Ce y O NPs, with (x = 0, y = 0); (x = 0.50, y = 0.025); and (x = 0.025, y = 0.50) using co-precipitation method. X-ray diffraction studies confirmed the wurtzite-type hexagonal crystal structure. Microstructural analysis showed a uniform grain distribution with average sizes of 21.7 nm, 23.2 nm, and 27.8 nm for (x = 0, y = 0); (x = 0.50, y = 0.025); and (x = 0.025, y = 0.50), respectively. The optical band gap as a result of co-substitution of Mn and Ce increased from 3.19 to 3.42 eV. Dielectric constant increased from 312 (x = 0, y = 0) to 888 (x = 0.025, y = 0.50). Hall effect measurements elicited elevated resistivity (increased from 45 to 132 Ω.cm) alongside diminished carrier concentration (7.12 × 10 16 cm −3 to 4.68 × 10 16 cm −3 ) and low mobility (3.73 to 2.05 cm 2 Vs −1 ), which is attributed to charge compensation caused by defects. The I-V characteristics revealed ohmic behavior with resistance values of 0.97 × 10 6 Ω, 1.36 × 10 6 Ω, and 1.90 × 10 6 Ω, thereby implying applicability to optoelectronic devices.