A comparative study of gallium doping on electrochemical and optical properties of green synthesized FeO–MgO nanoparticles using Citrus Nobilis

This study investigates the effects of gallium doping on the structural, optical, and electrochemical properties of FeO–MgO nanoparticles synthesized using a greener approach by utilizing the plant extract of Citrus nobilis. The phytochemical studies of Citrus nobilis performed by GC–MS showed the presence of different reducing agents present in it. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by FTIR, SEM, XRD, and UV–Visible techniques. XRD results showed the size of prepared gallium-doped FeO–MgO nanoparticles is about 2.6nm. UV–Vis studies showed a band gap of 2.7 eV for FeO–MgO and 2.1 eV for Ga (FeO–MgO). A slight difference of 0.6 eV in the band gap highlights the influence of gallium on electronic transitions in FeO–MgO nanoparticles. Linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) analysis of Ga (FeO–MgO) showed a contrasting effect with undoped FeO–MgO nanoparticles. The results showed the FeO–MgO nanoparticles as highly conductive materials, while Ga (FeO–MgO) showcasing a controlled conductance profile signifies its potential applications in electronics and photovoltaics where controlled conductance is required.