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Tuning the physical properties of Sb-doped ZnO nanopowders toward elevated photosensing and photocatalytic activity

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Abstract

This report outlines the photo sensing and photocatalytic properties of the Sb-doped ZnO nanopowders synthesized using the co-precipitation method. According to X-ray diffraction analyses, the produced nanopowders are polycrystalline and devoid of any secondary phase clusters. After antimony was added to the ZnO host matrix, a reduction in crystallite size was noticed. The distinct stretching vibrational modes (Zn–O and Sb–O) present in the produced nanopowders are validated using FTIR measurements. The bandgap shrinkage from 3.21 to 3.16 eV was obtained with the substitution of 5 wt% antimony in the ZnO matrix. In the case of Sb doped nanopowder samples, the reduction in ultraviolet band emission intensity was observed signifying the delayed photo-generated charge carriers recombination, which could favor the photo sensing and photocatalytic activity in ZnO. The photo sensing of the fabricated devices showed maximum responsivity (R), detectivity (D*), and external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 4.78 × 10–2 AW−1, 4.27 × 109 Jones and 11.1%, respectively for the 5% Sb-doped ZnO nanopowder. In addition, the 5% Sb-doped ZnO nanopowder photocatalysts reveal a superior degradation efficiency of 77% among other prepared photocatalysts.

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Acknowledgements

The authors from King Khalid University (KKU) are grateful to the Deanship of Scientific Research at KKU for funding to carry this work through the research groups program under grant number R.G.P. 2/322/44.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, Rajah Serfoji Government College (Autonomous) (Affiliated to Bharathidasan University), Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, 613005, India

    S. Senthil Kumari & N. Chidhambaram

  2. Department of Physics, Government Arts College (Affiliated to Bharathidasan University), Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, 620022, India

    S. Senthil Kumari & W. Nirmala

  3. Department of Nanotechnology, Noorul Islam Centre for Higher Education (Deemed to Be University), Kumaracoil, Kanyakumari District, Thuckalay, Tamil Nadu, 629180, India

    M. Prabu

  4. Department of Physics, College of Science, King Khalid University, Abha, 61413, Saudi Arabia

    V. Ganesh & I. S. Yahia

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  1. S. Senthil Kumari
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Kumari, S.S., Nirmala, W., Chidhambaram, N. et al. Tuning the physical properties of Sb-doped ZnO nanopowders toward elevated photosensing and photocatalytic activity. J. Korean Ceram. Soc. 60, 719–731 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s43207-023-00298-1

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