Effect of Pb-doping on the morphology, structural and optical properties of ZnO nanowires synthesized via modified thermal evaporation

Pb-doped ZnO nanowires (NWs) have been synthesized by modified thermal evaporation method. Effect of Pb-doping on the morphology, structure, and optical properties of as deposited NWs have been investigated. The TEM images show that the doped NWs consist of cantilever-like with diameter in the range of 20–150 nm. It has been found that the doped NWs are single crystalline grown along [1 0 1] direction. The composition and valence state of Pb ions have been investigated through energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray photospectroscopy (XPS), which demonstrate that the Pb ions are uniformly doped into each NW and are in +2 oxidation state. In addition, photoluminescence spectra exhibit an increased amount of defects with increasing Pb, which leads to a red shift in the UV region. Furthermore, the band gap tailoring in Pb-doped ZnO NWs makes their potential for optoelectronics devices.