The Effect of Terbium Dopant on Structural Characteristics of Zinc Tungstate

Zinc tungstate (ZnWO4) possesses exceptional optical properties, making it a valuable material for scintillators and phosphors in radiation detection and imaging applications. Its high density and excellent light yield contribute to its effectiveness in capturing and converting ionizing radiation into detectable signals with precision. In this study, the pure (ZWO) and terbium-doped ZWO nanoparticles (ZWO: Tb) were synthesized using a simple co-precipitation method. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), and Field-Emission Scanning electron microscope (SEM) were used to characterize the crystal structure, binding vibrations, and morphology of the prepared nanopowders, respectively. The prepared nanoparticles were in a monoclinic wolframite phase with spherical, cubic, and planar (sheet-like) morphologies as well as the average particle size of 256.8 nm. Based on the FTIR results, the characteristic bands of Zn-O, Zn-O-W, and W-O bonds appeared at 428, 716, and 697 cm-1, respectively. The prepared nanopowders can be advantageous for manufacturing flexible fluorescence materials, optoelectronic devices, and detectors.