Fe-doped In2O3 nanostructures synthesized via a freeze-drying process: Structural and optical properties

• Published in: Materials letters Vol. 250; pp. 210 - 213
• Main Authors: Oliveira, Aline A., Valerio-Cuadros, Marlon I., Tupan, Lilian F.S., Zanuto, Vitor Santaella, Ivashita, Flávio F., Paesano, Andrea
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01-09-2019; Elsevier BV
• Subjects: Aqueous solutions; Bandgap; Crystallites; Crystallization; Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy; Fe-doped; Fourier transforms; Freeze drying; Heat treatment; Indium oxide; Indium oxides; Iron; Materials science; Nanoparticles; Nickel; Optical properties; Transmission electron microscopy; X-ray diffraction; Fe-doped; Indium oxide; Freeze-drying; Bandgap
• ISSN: 0167-577X; 1873-4979
• DOI: 10.1016/j.matlet.2019.05.025

•(In1−xFex)2O3 nanoparticles prepared by freeze-drying followed by heat treatment.•Freeze-drying is an effective technique for low temperature synthesis of semiconductors oxides free from impurity phases.•Fe-doped In2O3 nanoparticles are bixbyite structure and single phase until the x  = 0.12.•Iron concentration in the In2O3 semiconductor reduced the lattice parameter, crystallite size, and optical bandgap.
(In1−xFex)2O3 nanoparticles were prepared by freeze-drying an aqueous solution of indium acetate and iron acetate followed by heat treatment. The samples were characterized by high-resolution X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared and UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The x ≤ 0.12 nanoparticles were shown to be monophasic and crystallized with the bixbyite structure. Iron doping the In2O3 semiconductor reduced the lattice parameter, crystallite size, and optical bandgap.