Tailoring the structural and optical parameters of zirconia nanoparticles via silver

Silver-doped zirconia nanoparticles/thin films with different doping concentrations 0.03, 0.05 and 0.07 mol% were synthesized by sol–gel route followed by spin coating. Zirconium (IV) chloride and silver nitrate were used as precursors. The prepared powdered samples and thin films were annealed in a programmable furnace at 650 °C for 3 h. XRD spectra showed prominent tetragonal phase of zirconia and cubic phase of silver nanoparticles. Structural parameters such as crystallite size, lattice constants, micro-strain, dislocation density, specific surface area and the number of unit cell in a particle were evaluated. FTIR spectra confirmed the expected functional groups present in the annealed samples. Optical absorption spectra of Ag-doped ZrO2 thin films established the tuning of band-gap with dopant concentration. PL spectra exhibited two broad blue emission bands centered at ~340 and 475 nm. TG–DTA thermal analysis of as-prepared sample was also carried out.