Hydrothermal synthesis and characterization of Tungsten-doped ZnO nanoparticles as an environmentally friendly substance

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Student Research Committee, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran

2 Environmental Health Research Center, Research Institute for Health Development, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran

Abstract

Hexagonal-structured zinc oxide (ZnO) is a semiconductor material with various industrial and cosmetic applications. Some of the main limitations of ZnO are aggregation, poor dispersibility, and wide energy gap, which limit its efficiency in some applications. The present study aimed to synthesize tungsten (W)-doped ZnO nanostructures using a hydrothermal method and characterize the particles to discover their application potency in various fields. To do so, 0.5%, 1.0%, and 2.0% of tungsten oxide (WO) were incorporated into the structure of ZnO, and the properties of the particles were determined via SEM, XRD, FTIR, AFM, DLS, and UV-Vis spectroscopy and zeta potential analysis. According to the obtained SEM images and XRD patterns, the prepared particles possessed hexagonal, non-aggregated structures. Furthermore, the UV-Vis spectra and AFM micrograms indicated that the doping of the ZnO nanostructures with tungsten caused a spectral shift in the absorbance of ZnO nanoparticles from the UV region to the visible light spectrum, increasing their relative roughness. According to DLS analysis, doping decreased the particle size of ZnO. In general, our findings demonstrated that the doping of ZnO nanostructures with tungsten could promote their efficiency and applicability in the treatment of environmental pollutants.

Keywords


1. He C, Sasaki T, Shimizu Y, Koshizaki N. Synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles using nanosecond pulsed laser ablation in aqueous media and their self-assembly towards spindle-like ZnO aggregates. App Surf Sci 2008; 254(7): 2196-2202.
2. Huang W-J, Fang G-C, Wang C-C. A nanometer-ZnO catalyst to enhance the ozonation of 2, 4, 6-trichlorophenol in water. Colloids Surf A Physicochem Eng Asp 2005; 260(1-3): 45-51.
3. Hamedani NF, Farzaneh F. Synthesis of ZnO nanocrystals with hexagonal (Wurtzite) structure in water using microwave irradiation. J Sci, Islam Republic Iran 2006; 17(3): 231-234.
4. Zhang Q, Xie C, Zhang S, Wang A, Zhu B, Wang L, et al. Identification and pattern recognition analysis of Chinese liquors by doped nano ZnO gas sensor array. Sens Actuators B Chem 2005; 110(2): 370-376.
5. Matsubara K, Fons P, Iwata K, Yamada A, Sakurai K, Tampo H, et al. ZnO transparent conducting films deposited by pulsed laser deposition for solar cell applications. Thin Solid Films 2003; 431: 369-372.
6. Lin H-M, Tzeng S-J, Hsiau P-J, Tsai W-L. Electrode effects on gas sensing properties of nanocrystalline zinc oxide. Nanostructured Mater 1998; 10(3): 465-477.
7. Livage J, Beteille F, Roux C, Chatry M, Davidson P. Sol–gel synthesis of oxide materials1. Acta Mater 1998; 46(3): 743-750.
8. Chuah G, Jaenicke S, Pong B. The preparation of high-surface-area zirconia: II. Influence of precipitating agent and digestion on the morphology and microstructure of hydrous zirconia. J Catal 1998; 175(1): 80-92.
9. López-Quintela MA, Tojo C, Blanco M, Rio LG, Leis J. Microemulsion dynamics and reactions in microemulsions. Curr Opin Colloid  Interface Sci 2004; 9(3-4): 264-278.
10. Wang B, Callahan M, Xu C, Bouthillette L, Giles N, Bliss D. Hydrothermal growth and characterization of indium-doped-conducting ZnO crystals. J Cryst Growth 2007; 304(1): 73-79.
11. Heitjans P, Indris S. Diffusion and ionic conduction in nanocrystalline ceramics. J Phys Condens Matter 2003; 15(30): R1257.
12. Liang Y-Y, Zhang L-M, Li W, Chen R-F. Polysaccharide-modified iron oxide nanoparticles as an effective magnetic affinity adsorbent for bovine serum albumin. Colloid Polym Sci 2007; 285(11): 1193-1199.
13. Farhat I, El-Hawary M. Optimization methods applied for solving the short-term hydrothermal coordination problem. Elect Power Sys Res 2009; 79(9): 1308-1320.
14. Shahmoradi B, Ibrahim I, Namratha K, Sakamoto N, Ananda S, Somashekar R, et al. Surface modification of indium doped ZnO hybrid nanoparticles with n-butylamine. Int J Chem Eng Res 2010; 2(2): 107-117.
15. Dresselhaus MS, Dresselhaus G, Saito R, Jorio A. Raman spectroscopy of carbon nanotubes. Phy Rep 2005; 409(2): 47-99.
16. Shahmoradi B, Namratha K, Byrappa K, Soga K, Ananda S, Somashekar R. Enhancement of the photocatalytic activity of modified ZnO nanoparticles with manganese additive. Res Chem Intermediat  2011; 37(2-5): 329-340.
17. Zimmer C, Wright Jr S, Engelhardt R, Johnson G, Kramm C, Breakefield X, et al. Tumor cell endocytosis imaging facilitates delineation of the glioma–brain interface. Exp Neurol 1997; 143(1): 61-69.
18. Jae KY, Hun KK, Sung LC, Bo SK. Characterization of ZnO nanopowders synthesized by the polymerized complex method via an organochemical route. Journal of Ceramic Processing Research  2002.
19. Mote VD, Huse VR, Dole BN. Synthesis and characterization of Cr doped ZnO nanocrystals. World J Condens Matt Phy 2012; 2(04): 208.
20. Kumbhakar P, Singh D, Tiwary C, Mitra A. Chemical synthesis and visible photoluminescence emission from monodispersed ZnO nanoparticles. Chalcog Lett 2008; 5(12): 387-394.
21. Wang Y, Lau S, Zhang X, Lee H, Hng H, Tay B. Observations of nitrogen-related photoluminescence bands from nitrogen-doped ZnO films. J Cryst Growth 2003; 252(1-3): 265-269.
22. Shayesteh SF, Dizgah AA. Effect of doping and annealing on the physical properties of ZnO: Mg nanoparticles. Pramana 2013; 81(2): 319-330.