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Ag doping enhancement of photoelectrochemical performance of ZnO nanoparticles

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Abstract

In this paper, we report on co-precipitation and spin coating process to prepare pure and silver (Ag)-doped nanostructured zinc oxide thin layers, with different Ag concentrations up to 2 at.%. X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique was used to study the crystalline properties of prepared samples. XRD investigation as exhibiting a wurtzite-type hexagonal phase, and a decrease in crystallite size with increasing Ag doping level. On optical analysis, both transmission and photoluminescence measurements highlight a pronounced impact attributed to the introduction of Ag doping. The optical findings underscore a notable shift in the optical band gap, as evidenced by UV–Visible measurements, indicating a transition from 3.27 eV prior to doping to 3.22 eV following the incorporation of 2 at.% Ag within the ZnO matrix. Additionally, a comprehensive exploration of photoelectrochemical (PEC) sensing characteristics was conducted. It is worth noting that among the assorted photo-anodes encompassing diverse Ag-dopant concentrations, the ZnO film infused with 0.5 at.% Ag showcased remarkable attributes, displaying heightened responsiveness and the utmost level of photoconduction sensitivity.

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Data Availability Statement

This manuscript has associated data in a data repository. [Authors’ comment: There are no associated data available.]

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Acknowledgements

The authors extend their appreciation to The Research Center for Advanced Materials Science (RCAMS) at King Khalid University, Saudi Arabia, for funding this work under the grant number RCAMS/KKU/016-22.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire de physique des matériaux et nanomatériaux appliqués à l’environnement, Faculté des sciences de Gabes, Département de Physique, 6079, Gabes, Tunisie

    M. Salem & A. Rached

  2. Research Center for Advanced Materials Science (RCAMS), King Khalid University, P.O. Box 9004, 61413, Abha, Saudi Arabia

    S. Nasr

  3. Laboratoire Technologie, Energie and Matériaux Innovants, Faculté des Sciences, Université de Gafsa, Sidi Ahmed Zarroug, 2112, Gafsa, Tunisia

    J. Salem

  4. Basic and Applied Scientific Research Center, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, P.O. Box 1982, 31441, Dammam, Saudi Arabia

    I. Massoudi

  5. Department of Physics, College of Science, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, P.O. Box 1982, 31441, Dammam, Saudi Arabia

    I. Massoudi

  6. Laboratoire de nanomatériaux et des systèmes pour les énergies renouvelables, Centre de Recherches et des Technologies de l’Energie, BP.95, 2050, Hammam Lif, Tunisie

    Y. Litaiem

  7. Department of Applied Physics and Astronomy, University of Sharjah, P.O. Box 27272, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

    M. Gaidi

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  1. M. Salem
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  2. A. Rached
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  4. J. Salem
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All the works in this paper have done together by all the above-mentioned authors.

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Salem, M., Rached, A., Nasr, S. et al. Ag doping enhancement of photoelectrochemical performance of ZnO nanoparticles. Eur. Phys. J. Plus 138, 746 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1140/epjp/s13360-023-04374-7

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