EUROPEAN CONGRESS AND EXHIBITION ON ADVANCED MATERIALS AND PROCESSES - EUROMAT 2021

Li-RE codoped ZnO nanostructured particles were prepared by the polyol method at low temperature and short growth times. Different contents of lithium were evaluated, keeping constant the Nd&GD atomic %. The nominal stoichiometric composition has been: (Zn1-y-xREyLixO, y=0.0, 0.02, x=0, 01, 0.015, 0.02, 0.025). The samples were analyzed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), BET, and photoluminescence. X-ray diffraction patterns have shown that the samples have a polycrystalline wurtzite-structure. No secondary phases have been identified in the concentrations studied. The Cell parameter has been determined, and the Scherrer's Formula's crystallite size has been calculated considering the three most important diffraction peaks. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) pointed out the purity of the obtained phase and its high crystallinity. Raman analysis will be made to confirm the hexagonal wurtzite-structure. Diffuse reflectance measurements have been made to evaluate the band-gap modification with the lithium content. The morphological and size changes have been observed by SEM and TEM, particularly from semispherical NPs (ZnO NPs) to spindle particles (Li-Nd co-doped ZnO). The Li-Nd-codoped ZnO nanocrystal's photocatalytic behaviour has revealed that the Zn0.97Nd0.02Li0.01O sample exhibits the highest photocatalytic activity among all samples (after 30min a degradation of 95%) to a Rodhamine B (2.5 ppm) solution. The influence of the initial pH and photocatalyst amount in the photodegradation efficiency were also monitored.