Effect of Complexing Agents on Structural and Optical Properties of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Synthesized by Solvothermal Method

In this study, Zinc Oxide ZnO semiconductor nanoparticles were synthesized by solvo thermal method using Zinc nitrate as the precursor; the effect of different complexing agents as Urea, citric acid, ethylene glycol and ammonium fluoride on physical properties of nanoparticles was studied. Crystal structure and surface morphology of the samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction XRD and field emission scanning electron microscopy FESEM. Results of XRD patterns describe the preferred peaks corresponding 100, 002, 101, 102, 110 and 103 planes with hexagonal wurtzite structure of Zinc Oxide. Nano crystallite sizes were calculated in the range of 14 to 32 nm. FESEM images show uniform shapes of the samples. Absorbance curves based on UV-Vis spectroscopy describe a shift in absorption edge This shift could be attributed to change in Optical gap of the nanoparticles in the range of 2.13 to 2.95 eV. as a function of the kind of complexing agent.