Impact of gadolinium doping on the structural and dielectric properties of zirconia nanoparticles

Pure ZrO2 and Zr0.9Gd0.1O2 nanoparticles were prepared by the sol-gel method using citric acid as fuel. X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and dielectric spectroscopy were used to characterize the structural and optical properties of the samples. The XRD analysis confirms that the prepared samples have a tetragonal structure with space group P42/nmc. The Hall Williamson analysis confirms the increase in the lattice parameter and crystallite size with the addition of Gd. The incorporation of Gd3+ ions with higher ionic radius causes an expansion in the crystal lattice of ZrO2. FTIR analysis confirms the formation of ZrO2 and Zr0.9Gd0.1O2 nanoparticles. The value of the dielectric constant is higher for Zr0.9Gd0.1O2 in comparison to ZrO2. The Nyquist plot shows that ZrO2 and Zr0.9Gd0.1O2 show non-Debye type relaxation.