"Nanocomposites and nanomaterials"

Structure, optical properties and photocatalytic activity of undoped, Nd-doped ZnO nanocomposites
Myroniuk D. V.1, Chudinovych O. V.1, 2, Shyrokov O. V.1, Myroniuk L. A.1, Danylenko I. M.3, Strelchuk V. V.3, Ievtushenko A. I.1, 2
1 Frantsevich Institute for Problems of Materials Science of the NAS of Ukraine,
Krzhyzhanovsky Str., 3, Kyiv-03142, Ukraine.
E-mail: denysmyroniuk@gmail.com
2 National Technical University of Ukraine “Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute”, Peremohy Av., 37, Kyiv-03056, Ukraine.
3 Lashkaryov Institute of Semiconductor Physics of the NAS of Ukraine,
Nauky Av., 41 Kyiv-03039, Ukraine.

ZnO is one of the promising photocatalytic materials. Its photocatalytic activity is determined by the sufficient size of its band gap (3.3 eV) and the appropriate position of its valence and conduction bands for oxidation reduction processes, with the generation of reactive oxygen species and the oxidation of organic pollutants. It is strongly depending on the defects and impurities. The Nd3+, as the rare earth element dopant, reduces the band gap energy and enhances the possibility of the photodegradation of dyes under UV and visible light [1].
The undoped and Nd-doped ZnO nanoparticles were synthesized by means of chemically method from Zn2+ and Nd3+ nitrates solutions. The undoped ZnO nanoparticles are identified as a wurtzite structure ZnO. For all Nd-doped ZnO samples, the diffraction peaks are almost similar to undoped ZnO. It is possible for Nd3+ ions cooperate with the matrix of ZnO particles to form Nd-Zn-O solid solutions since the radius of Nd3+ is bigger than that of Zn2+ which confirms by Raman measurements. The influence of Nd doping on photocatalytic activity of ZnO will be presented and discusses in our report in detail.
This work supported by the research project of the NAS of Ukraine “Creation of promising materials based on ZnO doped REE for use in catalysis”.

1.	Shahmoradi B., Soga K., Ananda S., Somashekar R., Byrappa K. Modification of neodymium-doped ZnO hybrid nanoparticles under mild hydrothermal conditions" // Nanoscale.-2010.-2,-P. 1160–1164.