Synthesis and spectroscopic studies of Fe3+-doped zinc borate powder

Fe3+-doped Zn3(BO3)2 powder is synthesized using a co-precipitation method. Powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), optical absorption, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), photoluminescence (PL), and Fourier transformation infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy were used to analyze the synthesized sample. The PXRD patterns confirm the monoclinic structure of the as-prepared sample. SEM images reflect the surface morphology of the sample. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) data confirms the presence of dopant ions in the host lattice. Crystal field (Dq) and inter-electronic repulsion (B and C) parameters were evaluated. The EPR spectrum shows two resonance signals, at g = 2.12 and 4.36. This indicates the existence of Fe3+ ions in tetragonally distorted octahedral site symmetry. The PL spectrum shows ultraviolet emission at room temperature. FT-IR spectroscopy confirms the fundamental vibrational bands of host molecules.