X-ray diffraction profile analysis of green synthesized ZnO and TiO<sub>2</sub> nanoparticles
Penny Mathumba, Mawethu Bilibana, Olalekan C. Olatunde, Damian C. Onwudiwe
Abstract
Abstract ZnO and TiO 2 nanoparticles were prepared through a plant-extract mediated hydrothermal synthesis. X-ray diffraction (XRD) study confirmed the crystalline nature and the phase characteristic of the obtained nanoparticles. X-ray diffraction profile analysis models such as Williamson–Hall analysis, size-strain plot and Rietveld analysis were further used in evaluating the microstructural parameters of the obtained materials. The calculated particle size for all the models was in great agreement, with values in the range of 55.46–87.6 nm recorded for ZnO, while for TiO 2 , the crystallite size was in the range of 33.82–41.9 nm. The calculated crystal microstrain varied based on the model, while the stress in the ZnO and TiO 2 nanoparticles was evaluated at 3.8 and 13.7 MPa, respectively. Furthermore, TiO 2 nanoparticles had a higher energy density of 8.96 × 10 –8 KJ m −3 compared to 7.12 × 10 –8 KJ m −3 obtained for ZnO.