Influence of Cu-ion doping in NiO NPs and their structural, morphological, optical and magnetic behaviors for optoelectronic devices and magnetic applications

NiO and Cu-ion doped NiO nanoparticles with various concentrations (0.01-0.04 M) have been effectively synthesized in the current investigation using chemical precipitation method. The following techniques were used to characterized the materials' structural, morphological, elemental analysis, functional group, optical and magnetic properties: XRD, TEM, HR-TEM, SAED, SEM, EDX, FTIR, UV, PL and VSM. According to this Scherrer formula, the average crystalline sizes of the materials of pure NiO and Cu-doped NiO were determined to be 16.37 nm, 15.21 nm, 14.88 nm, 18.35 nm, and 10.88 nm, respectively. The HR-TEM images revealed that the d-spacing values about 0.24 nm, which coincides with the (111) plane of cubic NiO for pure and copper doped NiO nanoparticles. The SEM micrographs of Cu-doped NiO nanomaterials shows tiny agglomerated particles, while that of pure NiO nanoparticles shows spherical structure. Pure NiO and Cu-doped NiO nanoparticles have band gap values of 2.32 eV, 2.29 eV, 2.24 eV, 2.22 eV, and 2.27 eV, respectively. The Cu-doped NiO nanoparticles (0.01-0.03 M) at various concentrations can significantly reduce the band gap without significantly altering the structure, making them a potential material for creating optoelectronic devices. Copper was incorporated into NiO nanoparticles, which had a significant impact on the magnetic properties and changed the material from weakly ferromagnetic to ferromagnetic. In comparison to undoped NiO nanoparticles, the saturation magnetization and coercivity values of the 0.01 M and 0.03 M of Cu-doped nanoparticles is much higher. This outcome demonstrates that such Cu-doped NiO nanoparticles have promising magnetic applications.

Probing analysis of Cu-doping on the structural, optical, morphological and magnetic properties of hematite nanoparticles and their antibacterial activity

The present study describes the synthesis of pure and Cu doped α-Fe2O3nanoparticles (with various concentrations of Copper 1, 3, 6, and 9 wt%) by conventional chemical precipitation technique and examines their structural, morphological, optical, magnetic, and antibacterial capabilities. The XRD pattern of pure and Cu-doped α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles exhibit rhombohedral structure and the estimated crystalline sizes were ranged from 39 to 58 nm. It is discovered that the estimated density dislocations linked to the agglomeration/cluster formations diminish when interstitial vacancies are filled with copper. The obtained bandgap from Tauc's plot, 2.07 eV of pure α-Fe2O3 is found to less than Cu doped α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles (2.9-3.4 eV), due to the structural changes and the tailing of localised states into deep bandgap energy levels. The intense blue emission bands (410-490 nm) arised due to the movement of trapped electrons from the donor level to the valance band and broad green emission bands (522-560 nm) are due to deep level CuO defect to the Fe2O3. The fundamental stretching of Fe-O vibrations and the presence of Cu in prepared samples were identified in FTIR and Raman spectra. SEM micrograph shows the uniform distribution of spherical nanoparticles with size ranged from 39 to 61 nm, which is in good accord with XRD studies. Further, the magnetic characteristics of the pure and Cu-doped α-Fe2O3 samples were assessed using a vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM); the ensuing hysteresis loop of the Cu-doped α-Fe2O3 displays weaker ferromagnetic behaviour. In the present investigations, the disc diffusion technique has been used to examine the antibacterial activity. Thus, the results of antibacterial activities demonstrated that at concentrations of 200 and 500 μg/ml of pure and Cu-doped α-Fe2O3 NPs, the highest zone of inhibition was found against gram (+ve) positive bacteria and was followed by the gram (-ve) negative bacteria's.

Management of spent shea waste: An instrumental characterization and valorization in clay bricks construction

This work studies the reuse of spent shea waste as an economic construction material in improving fired clay bricks manufacture aside providing a novel approach to ecofriendly managing its excessive generated from the shea agroindustry. For this purpose, the influence of spent shea waste addition on the chemical, mineralogical, molecular bonding and technological properties (i.e. compressive strength and water absorption) of the fired clay bricks were extensively investigated. The results indicated that the chemical, mineralogical, phase transformations, molecular bonding and thermal behavior of the produced bricks were practically unaffected by the addition of spent shea waste. However, spent shea waste addition increased the compressive strengths and water absorptions of the brick products. Potential performance benefits of reusing spent shea waste was improved fluxing agents, energy-contribution reaction, excellent porosifying effect, reduced thermal conductivity and enhanced compressive strengths of the brick products. This research has therefore provided compelling evidence that could create newfound route for the synergistic ecofriendly reuse of spent shea waste to enhance clay brick construction aside being a potential mainstream disposal option.

Infrared analysis of clay bricks incorporated with spent shea waste from the shea butter industry

The peculiar challenge of effective disposing abundant spent shea waste and the excellent compositional variation tolerance of clay material offered an impetus to examine the incorporation of spent shea waste into clay material as an eco-friendly disposal route in making clay bricks. For this purpose, the chemical constituent, mineralogical compositions and thermal behavior of both clay material and spent shea waste were initially characterized from which modelled brick specimens incorporating 5-20 wt% of the waste into the clay material were prepared. The clay material showed high proportions of SiO₂ (52.97 wt%) and Al₂O₃ (27.10 wt%) indicating their rich kaolinitic content: whereas, the inert nature of spent shea waste was exhibited by their low oxide content. The striking similarities in infrared absorption bands of pristine clay material and clay materials incorporated with 15 wt% of spent shea waste showed that the waste incorporation had no impact on bond formation of the clay bricks. Potential performance benefits of developing bricks from clay material incorporated with spent shea waste included improved fluxing agents, economic sintering and making of sustainable bricks. Consequently, the analytical results authenticate the incorporation of spent shea waste into clay materials for various desired benefits aside being an environmental correct route of its disposal.

Spectroscopic investigation on the production of clay bricks with SCBA waste

In this paper, the effect of sugarcane bagasse ash (SCBA) addition to the brick making clay has been analyzed using spectroscopic techniques. For that, mixtures of brick making clay (BMC) with sugarcane bagasse ash (SCBA) in proportions of 0-20 wt.% were hydraulic uniaxially pressed and sintered at temperatures of 800-1100 °C. The partial replacement of the brick making clay with SCBA was studied with chemical and mineralogical analyzes (XRF and X-ray diffraction). The quantitative estimation of minerals was made by FTIR analysis. The results of FT-IR reveal that kaolinite, quartz, and lignin are predominant, whereas, cellulose and calcite are in moderate levels. In addition, magnetite and hematite are found in trace level. The overall results reveal that the brick making clay substituted with 15 wt.% of SCBA can open up a new path for the fabrication of quality bricks at low cost.

Optical behavior and sensor activity of Pb ions incorporated ZnO nanocrystals

We present the synthesis and characterization of nanocrystalline ZnO doped with Pb in different concentrations. The structural and chemical compositions of the products are characterized by XRD, XPS, EDS and FT-IR spectroscopy. The observed results suggest that Pb ions (Pb(2+) and Pb(4+)) are successfully incorporated into the lattice position of Zn(2+) ions in ZnO. The optical properties of the products are studied by UV-Vis and room temperature PL measurements. The PL emission spectra of ZnO:Pb, show the intensity quenching for both the UV and visible emissions. The influence of Pb on controlling the size and morphology of ZnO is studied by FESEM and confirmed by HRTEM. Amperometric response shows that ZnO incorporated with 0.075M of Pb ions has enhanced sensor activity for H2O2 than the undoped product.

Synthesis, characterization and photocatalytic activity of ZnO nanoparticles prepared by biological method

Zinc oxide have been produced via a simple green method from zinc nitrate and leaf extract aqueous solutions. Prepared ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) were investigated by employing through UV-Visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-DRS), photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), field emission-scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), and transmission electron microscope (TEM), respectively. The present investigation, confirmed the estimated band gap 3.51eV and the PL intensity at 402nm in visible region are dependent upon the geometrical shape and size of the ZnO NPs. The TEM micrograph and XRD pattern confirmed the hexagonal wurtzite structure of ZnO NPs. The presence of functional groups and the chemical bonding are confirmed by FTIR spectra. EDS shows that the highly pure ZnO nanostructures. Moreover, the catalytic activity of synthesized ZnO in the reduction of methylene blue was studied by UV-Vis spectroscopy. The effects of process conditions on the morphology and size of ZnO have been found from FE-SEM and TEM analyses, respectively.

Green synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles using Solanum nigrum leaf extract and their antibacterial activity

In the present investigation, we have described the green biosynthesis of ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) by using Solanum nigrum as capping agent. The functionalization of ZnO particles through S. nigrum leaf extract mediated bioreduction of ZnO was investigated through UV-Vis DRS, photoluminescence (PL), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), thermal gravimetric-differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and antibacterial activities. UV-Vis-DRS studies revealed that the indirect band gap 3.38 eV and photoluminescence study reveals the blue emission at 402, 447, 469 and 483 nm and the green emission at 529 nm respectively. In addition, the synthesized NPs are wurtzite hexagonal structure with an average grain size lies between 20 and 30 nm were found from XRD analysis. Further, FT-IR spectra revealed the functional groups and the presence of protein as the stabilizing agent for surrounding the ZnO NPs. The diameter of the NPs in the range of 20-30 nm was found from FE-SEM study. TEM analysis was investigated the ZnO NPs as a quasi-spherical in shape and their diameter at around 29.79 nm. Finally, the current study has clearly demonstrated that the particle size variations and surface area to volume ratios of ZnO NPs are responsible for significant higher antibacterial activities. Further, the present investigation suggests that ZnO NPs has the potential applications for various medical and industrial fields so, that the investigation is so useful and helpful to the scientific communities.

A view of microstructure with technological behavior of waste incorporated ceramic bricks

Production of ceramic bricks from mixtures of ceramic industry wastes (up to 50 wt%) from the area of Vriddhachalam, Cuddalore district, Tamilnadu, India and kaolinitic clay from Thiruvananthapuram district, Kerala were investigated. The firing behavior of the ceramic mixtures was studied by determining their changes in mineralogy and basic ceramic properties such as water absorption, porosity, compressive strength and firing shrinkage at temperatures ranging from 900 to 1200 °C in short firing cycles. The effect of the rejects addition gradually up to 50 wt% was analyzed with the variation of temperature on the mechanical properties and microstructure of the bricks. The highest compressive strength and lowest water absorption is observed for the sample with 40% rejects at 1100 °C which is supported by the results of SEM analysis. The resulting ceramic bricks exhibit features that suggest possibilities of using the ceramic rejects in the conventional brick making methods.

Synthesis and characterization of ZrO2-CuO co-doped ceria nanoparticles via chemical precipitation method

In the present study, the fluorite cubic phase of bare and ZrO2-CuO co-doped ceria (CeO2) nanoparticles have been synthesized through a simple chemical precipitation method. X-ray diffraction results revealed that average grain sizes of the samples are within 5-6nm range. The functional groups present in the samples were identified by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) study. Surface area measurement was carried out for the ceria nanoparticles to characterize the surface properties of the synthesized samples. The direct optical cutoff wavelength from DRS analysis was blue-shifted evidently with respect to the bulk material and indicated quantum-size confinement effect in the nanocrystallites. PL spectra revealed the strong and sharp UV emission at 401nm. The surface morphology and the element constitution of the pure and doped nanoparticles were studied by scanning electron microscope fitted with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer arrangement. The thermal decomposition course was followed using thermo gravimetric and differential thermal analyses (TG-DTA).

Preparation, structural and morphological studies of Ni doped titania nanoparticles

TiO2 nanoparticles doped with different weight percentages (4%, 8%, 12% and 16%) of nickel contents were prepared by a modified sol-gel method using Titanium tetra iso propoxide and nickel nitrate as precursors and 2-propanol as a solvent. X-ray diffraction studies show that the as prepared and annealed products show anatase structure with average particle sizes running between of 8 and 16 nm. FTIR results demonstrate the presence of strong chemical bonding at the interface of TiO2 nanoparticles. The optical properties of bare and doped samples were carried out using UV-DRS and photoluminescence measurements. The surface morphology and the element constitution of the nickel doped TiO2 nanoparticles were studied by scanning electron microscope attached with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer arrangement. The non linear optical properties of the products were confirmed by Kurtz second harmonic generation (SHG) test and the output power generated by the nanoparticle was compared with that of potassium di hydrogen phosphate (KDP).

FT-IR characterization of articulated ceramic bricks with wastes from ceramic industries

The 30 ceramic test samples with the kaolinitic clay and ceramic rejects (in the as-received state and sintered at temperatures 900-1200°C) were investigated through spectral studies in order to elucidate the possibility of recycling the wastes from the government ceramic industry of Vriddhachalam, Tamilnadu state, South India. A detailed attribution of all the spectroscopic frequencies in the spectra recorded in the 4000-400cm(-1) region was attempted and their assignment to different minerals was accomplished. X-ray diffraction analysis was performed to demonstrate the reliability of IR attributions. The indication of well-ordered kaolinite is by the band at 1115cm(-1) in the raw samples which tends to shift towards 1095cm(-1) in all the fired samples. The peaks at 563cm(-1) and 795cm(-1) can be assigned to anorthite and dickite respectively. The presence of quartz and anorthite is confirmed both by XRD and FTIR. The microstructural observations were done through the SEM images which visualized the vitrification of the fired bricks at higher temperatures. The refractory properties of the samples found through the XRF analysis are also appreciable. The present work suggests that the incorporation of the rejects into the clay mixture will be a valid route for the ceramic industries to reduce the costs of the ceramic process.

Linear and nonlinear optical studies of bare and copper doped TiO2 nanoparticles via sol gel technique

In general, the nanoparticles of TiO2 may exist in the phases of anatase, rutile and brookite. In the present work, we used titanium terta iso propoxide and 2-propanol as a common starting material to prepare the precursors of bare and copper doped nanosized TiO2. Then the synthesized products were calcinated at 500°C and after calcination the pure TiO2 nanoparticles in anatase phase were harvested. The crystallite sizes of bare and copper doped TiO2 nanoparticles were calculated from X-ray diffraction analysis. The existence of functional groups of the samples was identified by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The optical properties of bare and doped samples were carried out using UV-DRS and photoluminescence measurements. The surface morphology and the element constitution of the copper doped TiO2 nanoparticles were studied by scanning electron microscope fitted with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer arrangement. The nonlinear optical properties of the products were confirmed by Kurtz second harmonic generation (SHG) test and the output power generated by the nanoparticle was compared with that of potassium di hydrogen phosphate (KDP).

Luminance behavior of Ce3+ doped ZnS nanostructures

We report the synthesis and characterization of undoped and various levels of Ce(3+) doped ZnS nanocrystal. The structure and size of the products were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The existence of functional groups was identified by Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FT-IR). The UV-Visible measurements reveal that the synthesized products are blue shifted when compared with bulk phase of ZnS as a result of quantum confinement effect. The PL studies show an enhancement in the intensity of emission band in the UV region on increased Ce(3+) doping. The morphology of the products was evaluated by Field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) and High resolution transmission electron microscopy (FESEM). The presence of Ce(3+) was confirmed by Energy dispersive spectral analysis (EDS). The thermal stability of pure and doped products was analyzed by thermo gravimetric and differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA).

Structural, optical and morphological analyses of pristine titanium di-oxide nanoparticles--synthesized via sol-gel route

Pure titanium di-oxide nanoparticles (TiO2) were synthesized by sol-gel technique at room temperature with appropriate reactants. The synthesis of anatase phase TiO2 nanoparticles was achieved by tetraisopropyl orthotitanate and 2-propanol as common starting materials and the product was annealed at 450 °C for 4 h. The synthesized product was characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), UV-VIS-Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), Photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with Energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis. XRD pattern confirmed the crystalline nature and tetragonal structure of synthesized composition. Average grain size was determined from X-ray line broadening, using the Debye-Scherrer relation. The functional groups present in the sample were identified by FTIR spectroscopy. Diffuse reflectance measurement indicated an absorption band edge on UV-region. The allowed direct and indirect band gap energies, as well as the crystallite size of pure TiO2 nanoparticles are calculated from DRS analysis. The microstructure and elemental identification were done by SEM with EDX analysis.

Sol-gel synthesis and characterization of pure and manganese doped TiO2 nanoparticles--a new NLO active material

Pure and Manganese (4%, 8%, 12% and 16%) doped titanium di-oxide (Mn-TiO2) nanoparticles were synthesized by sol-gel technique. The preparation of pure and Mn doped TiO2 nanoparticles were achieved by tetra-isopropyl orthotitanate and 2-propanol as common starting materials and the products were annealed at 450°C and 750°C to get anatase and rutile phases, respectively. The prepared materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (FT-IR), UV-VIS-Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), Photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with Energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) and Kurtz powder second harmonic generation (SHG) test. XRD patterns confirmed the crystalline nature and tetragonal structure of synthesized materials. The functional groups present in the samples were identified by FTIR study. The allowed direct and indirect band gap energies, as well as the crystallite sizes of obtained nanoparticles were calculated from DRS analysis. Microstructures and elemental identification were done by SEM with EDX analysis. The existence of SHG signals was observed using Nd: YAG laser with fundamental wavelength of 1064 nm. The products were found to be transparent in the entire visible region with cut-off wavelengths within the UV region confirms its suitability for device fabrications.

Radioactivity and associated radiation hazards in ceramic raw materials and end products

Studies have been planned to obtain activity and associated radiation hazards in ceramic raw materials (quartz, feldspar, clay, zircon, kaolin, grog, alumina bauxite, baddeleyite, masse, dolomite and red mud) and end products (ceramic brick, glazed ceramic wall and floor tiles) as the activity concentrations of uranium, thorium and potassium vary from material to material. The primordial radionuclides in ceramic raw materials and end products are one of the sources of radiation hazard in dwellings made of these materials. By the determination of the activity level in these materials, the indoor radiological hazard to human health can be assessed. This is an important precautionary measure whenever the dose rate is found to be above the recommended limits. The aim of this work was to measure the activity concentration of (226)Ra, (232)Th and (40)K in ceramic raw materials and end products. The activity of these materials has been measured using a gamma-ray spectrometry, which contains an NaI(Tl) detector connected to multichannel analyser (MCA). Radium equivalent activity, alpha-gamma indices and radiation hazard indices associated with the natural radionuclides are calculated to assess the radiological aspects of the use of the ceramic end products as decorative or covering materials in construction sector. Results obtained were examined in the light of the relevant international legislation and guidance and compared with the results of similar studies reported in different countries. The results suggest that the use of ceramic end product samples examined in the construction of dwellings, workplace and industrial buildings is unlikely to give rise to any significant radiation exposure to the occupants.

Natural radionuclides in ceramic building materials available in Cuddalore district, Tamil Nadu, India

The activity concentrations of radium, thorium and potassium can vary from material to material and they should be measured as the radiation is hazardous for human health. Thus, studies have been planned to obtain the radioactivity of ceramic building materials used in Cuddalore District, Tamilnadu, India. The radioactivity of some ceramic materials used in this region has been measured using a gamma-ray spectrometry, which contains an NaI(Tl) detector connected to multichannel analyzer. The specific activities of (226)Ra, (232)Th and (40)K, from the selected ceramic building materials, were in the range of 9.89-30.75, 24.68-70.4, 117.19-415.83 Bq kg(-1), respectively. The radium equivalent activity, absorbed gamma dose rate (D) and annual effective dose rate associated with the natural radionuclides are calculated to assess the radiation hazards of the natural radioactivity in the ceramic building materials. It was found that none of the results exceeds the recommended limit value.