Study of the Photoconductivity of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Synthesized by a Sol–Gel Method

ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized by use of a sol–gel method at different temperatures, and characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and UV–visible absorption spectroscopy. XRD analysis showed crystallite size was of the order of few tens of nanometers and the NPs had a wurtzite structure. SEM micrographs showed the NPs were pseudo-spherical in shape. UV–visible absorption study revealed a blue shift of the absorption edge compared with that of bulk ZnO. With increasing temperature of synthesis, the absorption edge was red-shifted. The photoconductivity, in air, of all the samples was studied. Variation of the dark current with applied voltage was linear for NPs synthesized at low temperatures and became super-linear for NPs synthesized at high temperatures. The dark current decreased with increasing temperature of synthesis. Photosensitivity was maximum for NPs synthesized at 600°C. Anomalous behavior, a decrease in photocurrent even during steady illumination, was observed for all the samples.