Synthesis and characterization of aluminum modified zinc oxide powder

Currently, nanocomposites are at the forefront of research due to the synergistic effect of combined components, large surface area, and higher thermal stability. Zinc oxide (ZnO) is an interesting material which in combination with alumina (Al2O3), can provide good photocatalytic properties along with optical properties. This study focuses on the synthesis and characterization of aluminum modified ZnO powder using chemical precipitation method. Three samples were synthesized each with varying mole ratios of Al2O3 and ZnO. X-ray diffraction (XRD) was conducted on three samples which confirmed the presence of ZnO along with Al2O3. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) was performed to observe the morphologies of the samples. It was revealed that the ZnO nanoparticles and nanorods were clustered together to form microspheres and brush like structures, respectively. Elemental composition of the composite sample was obtained through energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) which determined the varying aluminum percentage in different structures. It was determined that the aluminum doping resulted in poor crystallinity of ZnO nanoparticles while allowing higher absorption in UV range.