Sol-Gel auto-combustion derived Ni-doped ZnO nanoparticles: Structural and morphological insights

A series of pure and nickel-doped zinc oxide nanoparticles with concentrations of 15, 25, 35, and 45% of nickel were prepared by the sol-gel auto-combustion. The obtained samples were calcined at 800 °C for 8h to obtain pure and Ni-doped ZnO powders were characterized by XRD, SEM, FTIR, and UV-Vis spectroscopy. XRD study revealed that the synthesized samples had a good crystalline nature, with a hexagonal wurtzite structure and crystallite size ranging from 49–81 nm for nanoparticles. Structural parameters such as the lattice constants (a and c), volume of the unit cell (V), and microstrain (ε) were determined. FTIR characteristic peaks in Ni-doped ZnO further confirmed the retention of ZnO wurtzite structure.SEM images depict that the grain growth appear agglomarated and increase in Ni doping. Band gap obtained from UV-Vis spectra is 2.92 eV–3.27 eV. Williamson-Hall and size strain plot were used to analyze the structural and mechanical properties.