Structural, surface area and FTIR characterization of Zn0.95−xCu0.05 Fe0.0xO nanocomposites prepared via sol–gel method

Herewith, we report the successful preparation of Zn0.95−xCu0.05Fe0.0xO mesoporous composites using sol–gel method and their characterization using different techniques. Increasing the ratio of iron in the composites has considerably led to particles size reduction (22–18 nm) along with the increase in surface area (7–63 m2g−1) as respectively evidenced from the XRD and N2 adsorption analysis. The effect of Fe doping on the Zn0.95Cu0.05O brought about an increment in micro-strain from 5.03 × 10−3 to 6.33 × 10−3 and a reduction in stress in accordance with the particle size minimization. The morphology of the nanocomposite exhibited a semispherical appearance that got distorted with the loading of more Fe. In addition, the great surface area observed indicates a high grain boundary surfaces. The formation and purity of the nanocomposite was confirmed by the shift in the Zn–O wavenumber as shown in the FTIR spectra.