Microstructural and Raman investigations of ZnMgO nanopowders synthesized by a sol-gel auto combustion method

ZnMgO nanoparticles were prepared by a simple sol-gel auto combustion method with a fuel to oxidizer ratio 2:1 followed by thermal annealing in an air atmosphere. X-ray diffraction confirms the 10 at% solubility of Mg and the maintenance of the wurtzite phase. The microstructural information was obtained by the Rietveld method through a structural refinement of X-ray diffraction data. The change in c/a ratio and value of the positional parameter u suggests the change in ionic character in Zn-O4 tetrahedra towards more ionic and is validated through the value of electronegativity. This oxygen vacancy formation is supported through the relative change in oxygen site occupancy, electronegativity and oxidation state of cation Zn. Signatures of oxygen vacancy defects are observed in the Raman spectra.Copyright (c) 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Selection and peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the Recent Advancements in Materials Science and Nanotechnology.