Synthesis, and explication of structural and optical characteristics of Ba3Co2O6(CO3)0.6

Abstract

The nanostructured powder sample, Ba₃Co₂O₆(CO₃)_0.6 was fabricated by sol-gel method. The powder XRD pattern revealed a 37 nm-sized crystallite, P-6 symmetric hexagonal structure, anisotropic with a plate-like morphology. By examining the absorption spectrum, the optical parameters have been computed in the wavelength range of 400–1000 nm. Tauc's direct transition model is used to characterize the optical absorption edge, and its extrapolation yields the optical band gap (E_g) to be 3.12 eV. The refractive index using Herve–Vandamme formula for the synthesized sample was 2.39. PL spectra of Ba₃Co₂O₆(CO₃)_0.6 was measured at room temperature by a Fluoromax3 Spectroflourimeter – Perkin Elmer LS 45. shows the properties of direct band gap material. PL study which encompasses the whole visible area of the electromagnetic spectrum, revealed the weak emission band at 440 nm symbolizing blue-green emission, generating a red-shifted narrow emission band at 766 nm. Energy gap values and PL emission suggest the synthesized sample’s semiconducting nature. The optical properties of synthesized nanostructured samples find their importance in solar cells, electrochromic devices, and gas sensor applications.