Terahertz and UV–VIS Spectroscopy Evaluation of Copper Doped Zinc Magnesium Titanate Nanoceramics Prepared via Sol-Gel Method
Amany M. El Nahrawy, A. M. Mansour, Ahmed M. Bakr, Ali B. Abou Hammad
Abstract
In this work, the copper-doped zinc magnesium titanate (ZMT) nanoceramics were prepared by the precursor sol-gel method. The microstructure and surface morphological characteristics of the prepared nanoceramics were established by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy approaches. XRD confirms the formation of zinc, magnesium, and copper titanate in the prepared nanoceramic calcined at 700 °C. The samples had shown a strong response of charge carriers in the THz range. The change in THz absorbance spectra with increasing Cu content can be related to the internal transitions that occurred in the ZMT matrix. UV–vis evaluation demonstrates an initial increase in bandgap energy at 0.3 wt.% Cu and then decreases by Cu content increase as a result of s-d and p-d exchange interaction. The prepared copper doped zinc magnesium titanate (ZMT) nanoceramics can be employed in optoelectronic and photocatalysis applications.