Sol-Gel Synthesis, Crystal Structure, Magnetic and Optical Properties in ZnCo2O3 Oxide

Synthesis of ZnCo₂O₃ oxide is performed by sol-gel method via nitrate-citrate route. Powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) study shows monoclinic unit cell having lattice parameters: a = 5.721(1) Å, b = 8.073(2) Å, c = 5.670(1) Å, β = 93.221(8)°, space group P_2/m and Z = 4. Average crystallite sizes determined by Scherrer equation are the range ~14-32 nm, whereas SEM micrographs show nano-micro meter size particles formed in ZnCo₂O₃. Endothermic peak at ~798 K in the Differential scanning calorimetric (DSC) trace without weight loss could be due to structural transformation and the endothermic peak ~1143 K with weight loss is due to reversible loss of O₂ in air atmosphere. Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis profile shows the presence of elements Zn, Co and O which indicates the purity of the sample. Magnetic measurements in the range of +12 kOe to -12 kOe at 10 K, 77 K, 120 K and at 300 K by PPMS-II Physical Property Measurement System (PPMS) shows hysteresis loops having very low values of the coercivity and retentivity which indicates the weakly ferromagnetic nature of the oxide. Observed X-band EPR isotropic lineshapes at 300 K and 77 K show positive g-shift at g_iso ~2.230 and g_iso ~2.217, respectively which is in agreement with the presence of paramagnetic site Co²⁺(3d⁷) in the oxide. DC conductivity value of 2.875 ×10^-8 S/cm indicates very weakly semiconducting nature of ZnCo₂O₃ at 300 K. DRS absorption bands ~357 nm, ~572 nm, ~619 nm and ~654 nm are due to the d-d transitions ⁴T_1g(⁴F)→²E_g(²G), ⁴T_1g(⁴F)→⁴T_1g(⁴P), ⁴T_1g(⁴F)→⁴A_2g(⁴F), ⁴T_1g(⁴F)→⁴T_2g(⁴F), respectively in octahedral ligand field around Co²⁺ ions. Direct band gap energy, E_g~ 1.5 eV in the oxide is obtained by extrapolating the linear part of the Tauc plot to the energy axis indicates fairly strong semiconducting nature of ZnCo₂O₃.