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Physicochemical and electrochemical properties of Gd3+-doped ZnSe thin films fabricated by single-step electrochemical deposition process

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Abstract

Gd3+ (gadolinium)-doped ZnSe thin films (1 to 5 mol%) are grown onto indium-doped tin oxide (ITO) glass substrate by single-step electrochemical deposition process. X-ray diffraction analysis confirms the formation of hexagonal wurtzite structure with preferred growth orientation along (101) plane. A new antistructural modeling for describing active surface centers for ZnSe:Gd system is discussed for the first time. The new antistructural modeling shows that the dissolution of Gd cations increases the concentration of surface active centers \( {\mathrm{Gd}}_{\mathrm{Zn}}^{\bullet } \) and \( {\mathrm{V}}_{\mathrm{Zn}}^{\prime \prime } \), which are located in the cationic sublattice. The surface morphology of thin films investigated using scanning electron microscopy reveals some agglomeration of grains with significant changes in particle size with varying Gd3+ concentrations. UV-vis and photoluminescence studies indicate a blue shift due to the incorporation of Gd3+ into ZnSe host lattice. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and photoelectrochemical measurements reveal that the 3 mol% Gd3+-doped ZnSe thin film possesses low charge transfer resistance (25.42 Ω) and faster migration of photoinduced electrons, resulting in high conductivity. Therefore, the optimum doping concentration, 3 mol% Gd3+-doped ZnSe, offers a positive synergistic effect for photoelectrochemical devices.

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Acknowledgements

Dr. P. Prabukanthan would like to acknowledge the financial support of Science & Engineering Research Board (SERB)-Empowerment and Equity Opportunities for Excellence in Science [EMEQ] program (F.No.SB/EMEQ-259/2014), Department of Science and Technology (DST), India.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Materials Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Muthurangam Government Arts College, Vellore, 632002, India

    T. Rajesh Kumar & P. Prabukanthan

  2. Department of Polymer Science, University of Madras, Guindy Campus, Chennai, 600025, India

    G. Harichandran

  3. Centre of Excellence for Energy Research, Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology (Deemed to be University), Chennai, 600119, India

    J. Theerthagiri

  4. Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University, 57, ShevchenkoStr., Ivano-Frankivsk, 76018, Ukraine

    Tetiana Tatarchuk

  5. SRM Research Institute, Department of Chemistry, SRM University, Kattankulathur, Chennai, 603203, India

    T. Maiyalagan

  6. Institute of Chemistry, UFMS, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, 79074-460, Brazil

    Gilberto Maia

  7. Department of Physics, College of Science, University of Bahrain, PO Box 32038, Sakhir, Kingdom of Bahrain

    M. Bououdina

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  1. T. Rajesh Kumar
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Rajesh Kumar, T., Prabukanthan, P., Harichandran, G. et al. Physicochemical and electrochemical properties of Gd3+-doped ZnSe thin films fabricated by single-step electrochemical deposition process. J Solid State Electrochem 22, 1197–1207 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10008-017-3865-z

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