Inflated electronic and optical assessment of gC3N4/ZnO nanocomposite as a potential emissive layer material for OLED application

Abstract

Organo-inorganic nanocomposite materials have been proven to be novel hybrid materials with inflated electronic and optical performance that can be tailored with the judicious selection of the building units or their combinations. Here, hydrothermal, thermal polycondensation, and ultrasonication techniques were used to synthesize pure ZnO, gC₃N₄, and gC₃N₄/ZnO with varying weights % such as 10 %, 15 %, 20 %, and 25 % of ZnO inorganic filler elements in gC₃N₄ matrix. The crystalline phase (hexagonal wurtzite) and crystallite size (10.0 nm, 17.6 nm, and 15.90 nm) of the synthesized materials were examined by X-ray diffractometer. The FESEM and HRTEM characterizations revealed the sheet-like gC₃N₄ and spherical-type ZnO nanoparticle-like microstructures of the samples. The present functional groups, corresponding vibrational frequency, chemical states, and binding energy were investigated using FTIR and XPS spectroscopic methods. Optical parameters such as optical band gap energy (E_g = 3.24 eV), Urbach energy (E_u = 0.41 eV), refractive index (n = 1.99), emission quantum yield (∼ 69.03 %), and color purity of the nanocomposites were examined using UV visible and photoluminescence spectroscopic techniques. IV and Hall measurements techniques were used to determine the semiconducting parameters of the optimized sample, such as conductivity (∼62.90×10⁻⁵ S/cm), carrier mobility (∼ 44.1 cm²/Volt. Sce), carrier concentrations (∼1.825×10¹⁴ cm⁻³), and sheet resistance (∼1.062×10³ Ω/cm²). Due to their excellent optical and electrical behavior, the nanocomposite materials were found to be fairly suitable as a potential emissive layer material for OLED applications.