Effect of gamma radiation on morphological & optical properties of ZnO nanopowder

Abstract

Gamma radiation is the most energetic, highly penetrating electromagnetic radiation with extremely high frequency. In this light, the influence of gamma irradiation on the morphological and the optical properties of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanopowder is investigated for different applications. In particular, the zinc oxide (ZnO) nanopowder is prepared by the homogenous precipitation method with the post-oxidation annealing taking place in air atmosphere. The optical properties of the ZnO nanopowder are observed using a UV–Vis spectrophotometer in the wavelength range of 200–800 nm, while scanning electron microscopy (SEM) is used for surface analysis. Samples are irradiated using a Co60 gamma source with high and low dose. The energy band gap of ZnO nanopowder is calculated before and after gamma radiation. Keywords: ZnO nanopowder, Gamma radiation, Energy bandgap, SEM, Optical properties