LAUSR

Abstract In this study, Zn1-xLixO (x = 0.02, 0.04, 0.06, 0.08 and 0.10) nanohexagons were prepared by sol-gel combustion route and characterized using standard techniques for understanding their crystallography, surface morphology, optical, photoluminescence and magnetic properties. Single phase wurtzite type hexagonal crystal structure of the synthesized Li doped ZnO nanoparticles was identified from the Rietveld profile refinement of the powder XRD patterns and HRTEM & SAED analysis. HRTEM micrographs and XRD peak profile analysis confirmed formation of highly crystalline Li doped ZnO nanohexagons (ZnO:Li NHs) with average crystallite size in the 20–40nm range. Formation of functional Zn(Li)–O bonds in ZnO:Li NHs was confirmed by FTIR. SEM micrographs of the prepared samples showed random shaped, uniform distribution and well dispersed grains of ZnO:Li NHs. All the ZnO:Li NHs absorbs significant light in the UV band and the band gap energy monotonically decreases with increasing Li concentration in ZnO:Li NHs. Photoluminescence spectra exhibited two characteristic emission bands in all the ZnO:Li NHs and the UV emission band showed red shifting with increasing Li concentration, which is ascertained with the optical absorbance spectrums. Visible band spectral analysis of the PL data revealed formation of neutral, mono, and divalent oxygen vacancies along with the other defects like Zn vacancy in the ZnO lattice by Li doping and synthesis mechanism. All the ZnO:Li NHs exhibited weak ferromagnetism at RT. Lattice defects and oxygen vacancies created by Li1+ ions in the host ZnO lattice play significant role in band gap narrowing, photoluminescence in orange-red region and weak ferromagnetic ordering in ZnO:Li NHs.