Synthesis and optical properties of transition metal doped ZnO nanoparticles

Enhancement in the optical absorption of metal and transition metal doped ZnO nanoparticles could make this material capable to work as an efficient pholocatalysts. Doped ZnO nanoparticles were synthesized via co-precipitation techniques. Doping of ZnO with manganese (Mn2+) and copper was intended to enhance the surface defects of ZnO. These can subsequently be used as efficient centers for optical absorption. Nanoparticles prepared with these techniques, which were characterized with transmission electron microscopy (TEM), infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), photo-co-relation spectroscopy (PCS) and UV/VIS-spectroscopy showed significant enhancement in the optical absorption when compared with the undoped ZnO. Enhancement in the optical absorption of Mn-doped ZnO indicates that it can be used as an efficient photocatalyst under visible light irradiation and might have applications in the photoelectrochemical hydrogen production. It was found that manganese-doped ZnO (ZnO:Mn2+) absorbs more visible light in comparison to copper-doped ZnO (ZnO:Cu2+) when exposed to tungsten bulb.