Enhanced Electrical and Optical properties of Al doped and ZnO nanoparticles for Optoelectronic Application: Eco-friendly Green Route

Abstract

Optoelectronic materials have been developed greatly due to the wide usage of Liquid crystal displays, touch screens and light-emitting devices. In this work, a simple, eco-friendly green synthesis method has been adopted for the synthesis of pure and Al doped ZnO nanoparticles (1, 3 and 5 wt. %). Bio-extract was extracted from Citrus Aurantium peel. The structural, optical and electrical properties of the as-synthesized material were analyzed by X-ray diffraction, Scanning Electron Microscopy, UV-Visible spectroscopy and Hall Effect measurements. XRD spectra indicate the presence of hexagonal wurtzite structure. The crystalline size is decreased with increasing Al concentration. Scanning electron microscopy results indicate that the addition of Al changes the morphology from rod shape to platelets shape. UV-Visible results infer the shift in the band edge towards lower wavelength and the bandgap increases with Al concentration. Hall effect measurements reveals the enhanced carrier concentration in 5 wt% Al doped ZnO with the values of 1.3 × 1021 cm-3.