Novel laser-assisted technique for rapid preparing ZnO:X nanoparticles

Undoped, Ga and Al-doped ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared under a one-step procedure of continuous-wave infrared laser irradiation in gelatin media for the first time. Nanoparticles were characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). It was found that the sudden increase of the local temperature exceeding the evaporation temperature of the compound groups and solvents might enhance the nucleation and form the smaller nanoparticles. XRD and TEM results showed that all the nanopowders exhibited a single-phase wurtzite structure, the average particle size was about 25 nm and the morphology of nanoparticles depended on their size according to quantum size effect. FTIR spectra revealed that the doping agents affected the absorbance peak positions and the intensities corresponding to Zn-O bonds strength. In addition, the oxygen deficiencies of the samples obtained by laser irradiation have been enhanced, since the preparation process was performed only in seconds. The results showed that this laser-assisted technique could be used for mass production of NPs with narrow size distribution.