Influence of simultaneous doping of Cd and F on certain physical properties of ZnO nanopowders synthesized via a simple soft chemical route

The effect of simultaneous doping of cadmium and fluorine on certain physical properties of ZnO nanopowders synthesized using a simple soft chemical route is reported for the first time. The structural studies indicated that doping do not alter the overall structure. However, the values of lattice constants are found to increase with the increase in the dopant levels. The optical studies showed a decrease in band gap for doped system associated with Moss–Burstein effect. The composition and morphology are reported and correlated with FTIR and photoluminescence studies. The morphology is explained on the basis of zeta potential measurements.