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Influence of magnesium doping on microstructure, optical and photocatalytic activity of zinc oxide thin films synthesis by sol–gel route

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Abstract

The article deals with the effect of Mg dopant on the properties and the photocatalytic of ZnO films synthesized by the sol–gel technique onto glass substrates. It is found that Mg dopant has a strong influence on the microstructure and functional properties. The EDX analysis revealed that Mg had been incorporated into the ZnO. Structural studies through XRD have shown that the deposited films are of hexagonal structure with a preferential growth along the c-axis and nanometer crystal size. According to AFM analysis; it is found that the roughness of Mg-doped ZnO films increases with the Mg dopant. The film surface depicted wrinkles morphology as observed by ESEM. Optical investigations by spectrophotometry and photoluminescence revealed that as the Mg dopant is increased, the optical band-gap increases. Moreover, near band edge and visible emissions as probed by Photoluminescence can be manipulated by the Mg dopant, as their intensity increases and decreases, respectively. Finally, the photocatalytic activity for degradation of methylene blue is strongly improved all the more as the Mg content is increased.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Drs. Ahmed Reda Khantoul, Pascal Boulet, Badis Rahal, Thomas Gries and Alaa Eldin Giba, for help with Energy-Dispersive spectroscopy of X-ray (EDSX), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Photoluminescence (PL) measurements.

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No funding was received to assist with the preparation of this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Crystallography Laboratory, Physics Department, Faculty of Exact Sciences, Mentouri Brothers - Constantine 1 University, Route Ain El bey, 25000, Constantine, Algeria

    Imene Ameur, Boubekeur Boudine, Malak Khennoucha, Miloud Sebais & Ouhiba Halimi

  2. Assia Djebar Higher Normal School of Constantine, Ali Mendjeli, Constantine, Algeria

    Mouloud Laidoudi

  3. CNRS, IMN, Institut des Matériaux Jean Rouxel, Université de Nantes, 44000, Nantes, France

    Valérie Brien

  4. CNRS, IJL, Université de Lorraine, 54000, Nancy, France

    David Horwat

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  1. Imene Ameur
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All authors conceived and designed the study. Imene Ameur conducted the experiments. All authors contributed to manuscript revisions. All authors approved the final version of the manuscript and agree to be held accountable for the content therein.

Conceptualization: BB and IA; Methodology: BB and IA; Formal analysis and investigation: All authors; Writing-original draft preparation: All authors; Writing—review and editing: All authors; Funding acquisition: All authors; Resources: All authors; Supervision: BB.

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Correspondence to Imene Ameur.

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Ameur, I., Boudine, B., Laidoudi, M. et al. Influence of magnesium doping on microstructure, optical and photocatalytic activity of zinc oxide thin films synthesis by sol–gel route. Appl. Phys. A 127, 331 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-021-04486-w

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