A band gap engineering for the modification in electrical properties of Fe3O4 by Cu2+ doping for electronic and optoelectronic devices applications

• Main Authors: Saleem, Shahroz, Jameel, Muhammad Hasnain, Asma A. Alothman, Asma A. Alothman, Mayzan, Mohd Zul Hilmi, Yousaf, Talha, Ahmad, Muhammad Rehan, Ali, Asad, Zaman, Abid
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Springer 2023
• Subjects: TK Electrical engineering. Electronics Nuclear engineering
• Online Access: http://eprints.uthm.edu.my/10895/1/J17308_c847c448b7f5d13ad2b86c77a687b7de.pdf; http://eprints.uthm.edu.my/10895/; https://doi.org/10.1007/s10971-023-06287-4

Magnetite nanoparticles (α-Fe3O4) were successfully prepared by a chemical co-precipitation technique. Modification in electrical properties of α-Fe3O4 by Cu2+ dopant for the modification in electrical properties was deliberated. As the Cu2+ dopant content increased from 5 to 10%, the average crystallite size decreased from 2.96 to 2.93 nm. The synthesized sample doped with 5% exhibited the porous nature and least agglomeration. The optical studies revealed that energy band gap increased from 1.76–1.83 eV by enhancing Cu2+ content from 5 to 10%. The electrical studies revealed that the electrical conductivity decreased from 4.04 × 10−5 to 9.17 × 10−6 ℧ cm−1 . The obtained consequences revealed that desired properties of Cu+2 doped Fe3O4 NPs can be obtained by controlling the substituting content in host material. The Fe3O4 NPs with Cu2+ doping exhibited higher electrical conductivity and become an excellent candidate for development of electronic and optoelectronic devices, such as, photodetector, sensors and energy storage devices.