Sol–Gel Synthesis of Spinel-Structured Pure and Manganese-Activated Zinc Aluminate Nanoparticles

Pure and Mn2+-doped ZnAl2O4 nanoparticles have been synthesized using the citrate sol–gel method. X-ray diffraction was used to acquire pure spinel structure, while the crystallinity has been assessed by HR-TEM at the nanoscale. The nanocrystalline size was calculated from the peak width of the most prominent reflection plane. The W–H formula was used to assess the micro-stress present in the samples. FTIR reveals the corresponding functional group and emphasized the characteristic fingerprint region of the spinel. The data of absorbance manifests the band gap energies that have remarkably lower values in the doped sample. The electrical characterization has inferred the enhanced conductivity in the doped sample where Mn2+ ions act as donors of electrons. The modified properties strengthened the usability of prepared aluminates in the semiconductor industry.