Microstructural and optical properties of spinel oxide MxCo2−xMnO4 (M= Ni, Zn or Cu; 0 < x < 1) thin films prepared by inorganic polycondensation and dip-coating methods

Spinel oxide nanoparticles of MxCo2 − xMnO4 (M = Ni, Zn, Cu; 0 < x < 1) were prepared at 120 °C by the inorganic polycondensation method. Phase composition and microstructure of each sample powder thus obtained were characterized by X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence and scanning electron microscopy. Nanoparticles are well crystallized and uniformly distributed in both shape and size. Colloidal dispersions were stabilized in a low cost and environmentally friendly solvent solution. Spinel oxide thin films were then deposited on glass substrates by using the dip-coating technique. Their optical properties were measured in the 300–1100 nm wavelength range. Thin films show extremely good absorbance in the ultra-violet and blue regions. The highest absorbance observed in the red region was for x = 0.15 in zinc. A smaller direct band gap was determined when a low amount of doping M element was introduced in the cobalt and manganese spinel oxide material.