Abstract
In pursuit of fabricating subtle and functionally regimented nanostructures, offering enhanced electronic, optical, and catalytic performance; doping of transition metal (TM: Fe and Mn) driven implication on the morphological, structural and optical characteristics of Zinc oxide nanostructure were investigated adopting base catalyze hydrothermal route of synthesis. To contribute to the understanding, prepared nanostructures were characterized employing an array of microscopic and spectroscopic procedures. Morphological characteristics from FESEM revealed a substantial decrease in size, owing to incorporation of transition element (TM: Fe and Mn) in ZnO lattice; unveiling restricted agglomeration in doped ZnO nanostructures. EDX evince no impurity in doped ZnO NPs, doping ended into efficient assimilation of Fe3+ and Mn2+ ions in place of Zn2+ ions. X-ray diffraction assures wurtzite structure of doped ZnO, grain size (Debye-Scherrer's) for doped ZnO NPs discloses reduction (Pristine: similar to 31 nm; Fe doped ZnO: 27 nm and Mn doped ZnO similar to 11 nm). Fe at 1% doped ZnO nanostructure exhibits a significant shrinkage in lattice parameters, Zn-O bond length and unit cell volume. In view of peak width as a function 2 theta, estimated lattice strain in Fe at 1% doped ZnO (epsilon: 4.09 x 10(-3)) experience an increase in micro-strain compared to pristine (epsilon: 1.27 x 10(-3)). Furthermore, optical characteristics reveal a lower band gap compared to bulk ZnO in all the samples. Vibrational properties via Raman and FTIR spectroscopies unravel intricacies of dopant induced modes. Studies decipher positive surface charge potential for pristine, Fe and Mn doped ZnO nanostructures in DI, while doped ZnO nanostructures holds a negative zeta value, accounts to the alteration assimilated in culture medium (Luria broth).