Microstructure and optical properties of Na-doped ZnO system, synthesized by the sol–gel method

Abstract

Pure and Na-doped ZnO (2 at.%, 5 at.%, and 10 at.%) films are synthesized by sol–gel method and annealed at 500 °C for 4 h. The as-synthesized nanoparticles are characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The samples exhibited hexagonal ZnO lattice structure and another Na2O2 phase was detected in the 5 at.% Na-doped ZnO sample. The calculated average crystalline size increases from 42.0 nm to 43.5 nm when Na content increased from 0 to 10 at.%. FESEM and TEM analysis identifies that the average size of the Na-doped ZnO nanoparticles lies in between 50 nm and they appear in spheroid-like or rod-like shaped particles. The transmittance of the sample was above 80% and the results of photocatalytic activity show that Na-doped ZnO nanoparticles exhibit higher photodegradation activity (about 91%) than pure ZnO nanoparticles under UV irradiation.