Synthesis, structure and characterization of Co doped CeO2 nanoparticles

Abstract

Nanocrystalline Co doped CeO2 particles were synthesized using simple sol-gel method. The structural, vibrational and photoluminescence properties of synthesized nanoparticles were investigated using X-ray power diffraction (XRD), UV-visible spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy and Photolumiscence (PL) spectroscopy. XRD showed that the lattice shrink and crystallite size decreases with doping which leads to lattice distortion and generation of strain. The bandgap is red shifted due to formation of defects states between bandgap as confirmed by urbach energy calculation. The PL intensity of Co doped CeO2 reduces which is due to the non radiative emission centres. Raman analysis showed characteristic peak at 460.8 cm-1 of Ce-O vibrational unit. A weak peak emerges with doping at ∼ 540-640 cm-1 hints generation of oxygen vacancies related defects which also acts as emission quenching center. © Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd.