Band gap studies of nanocomposites of ZnO/SnO$_2$ with different molar ratios

TL;DR

This study synthesizes ZnO/SnO$_2$ nanocomposites with varying molar ratios using microwave hydrothermal methods and investigates their structural, morphological, and optical properties, revealing reduced band gaps in composites.

Contribution

It presents a novel synthesis of ZnO/SnO$_2$ nanocomposites with different molar ratios and analyzes their properties using multiple characterization techniques.

Findings

Nanocomposites exhibit preferred orientations in XRD patterns.

Particle sizes are in the nano-range as shown by SEM.

Optical band gaps of nanocomposites are lower than those of pure ZnO and SnO$_2$.

Abstract

Nano particles of pure ZnO, pure SnO$_2$, and nanocomposites of ZnO/SnO$_2$ were synthesized using microwave hydrothermal technique starting from aqueous solutions. Nanocomposites with different molar ratios of ZnO and SnO$_2$ were prepared. Structural, morphological and optical properties of these samples were investigated using XRD, SEM and UV-visible technique, respectively. The single phases of ZnO and SnO$_2$ could be fabricated according to XRD patterns. The relative intensities of different XRD peaks in different nanocomposite samples were different by indicating that there are some preferred orientations in different samples. In XRD patterns of nanocomposites, peaks of both pure ZnO and pure SnO$_2$ samples appear. Particle size was in the range of nano-range according to SEM micrographs. Optical bang gap was measured by UV-visible spectrometer. Optical band gaps of nano composites are less than those of pure ZnO and SnO$_2$ due to the increase of particle size.