Investigation of the Structural Properties of Cobalt Doped Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles

In this study, pure and Co (1%, 3% and 5%) doped ZnO nanoparticles were fabricated through mechanical ball milling technique, which is an inexpensive and easy method. X-ray diffraction and synchrotron-based X-ray absorption spectroscopy measurements were used to determine the crystalline properties and local atomic structures of the obtained nanostructured products. A wurtzite structure was observed for all the samples. X-ray absorption spectroscopy results was clearly indicated that the Co2+ ions were successfully substituted into the Zn2+ sites of the ZnO wurtzite lattice without forming any detectable secondary phases. The present study, investigating the structural properties of Co doped ZnO nanoparticles in detail, could make a significant contribution to the potential use of doped ZnO in both spintronic and other nanotechnological applications