Anshuman Sahai

Doping concentration driven morphological evolution of Fe doped ZnO nanostructures

In this paper, systematic study of structural, vibrational, and optical properties of undoped and 1-10 at.% Fe doped ZnO nanostructures, synthesized adopting chemical precipitation route, has been reported. Prepared nanostructures were characterized employing an assortment of microscopic and spectroscopic techniques, namely Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) Spectroscopy, X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), Micro-Raman Spectroscopy (μRS), and UV-visible and Photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. With Fe incorporation, a gradual morphological transformation of nanostructures is demonstrated vividly through SEM/TEM characterizations. Interestingly, the morphology of nanostructures evolves with 1–10 at. % Fe doping concentration in ZnO. Nanoparticles obtained with 1 at. % Fe evolve to nanorods for 3 at. % Fe; nanorods transform to nanocones (for 5 at. % and 7 at. % Fe) and finally nanocones transform to nanoflakes at...

Effect of media components on cell growth and bacterial cellulose production from Acetobacter aceti MTCC 2623.

Acetobacter aceti MTCC 2623 was studied as an alternative microbial source for bacterial cellulose (BC) production. Effect of media components on cell growth rate, BC production and cellulose characteristics were studied. FTIR results showed significant variations in cellulose characteristics produced by A. aceti in different media. Results have shown the role of fermentation time on crystallinity ratio of BC in different media. Further, effect of six different media components on cell growth and BC production was studied using fractional factorial design. Citric acid was found to be the most significant media component for cell growth rate (95% confidence level, R(2)=0.95). However, direct role of these parameters on cellulose production was not established (p-value>0.05).

Structural and optical investigations of oxygen defects in zinc oxide nanoparticles

ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared implementing chemical precipitation method. Structural and optical characterizations of synthesized ZnO NPs were thoroughly probed applying X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscope (TEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), UV- Visible absorption and fluorescence (FL) spectroscopy. The XRD and TEM analyses revealed hexagonal wurtzite phase with 25-30 nm size. EDX analysis indicated oxygen (O) rich composition of nanoparticles. In accordance with EDX, XPS analysis verifies Oi rich stoichiometry of prepared NPs. Furthermore, concurrence of lattice oxygen (OL), interstitial oxygen (Oi) and oxygen vacancy (VO) in ZnO NPs was demonstrated through XPS analysis. Size quantization of nanoparticles is evident by blue shift of UV-Visible absorption energy. The FL spectroscopic investigations ascertain the existence of several discrete and defect states and radiative transitions occurring therein. Display of visible em...

Dopant concentration dependent growth of Fe:ZnO nanostructures

Systematic investigations of structural properties of 1-10% Fe doped ZnO nanostructure (Fe:ZnO NS) prepared via chemical precipitation method have been reported. Structural properties were probed thoroughly employing scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDAX) analysis and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Morphological transformation of nanostructures (NS) with Fe incorporation is evident in SEM/TEM images. Nanoparticles (NP) obtained with 1% Fe, evolve to nanorods (NR) for 3% Fe; NR transform to nanocones (NC) (for 5% and 7% Fe) and finally NC transform to nanoflakes (NF) at 10% Fe. Morover, primary phase of Zn1-xFexO along with secondary phases of ZnFe2O4 and Fe2O3 were also revealed through XRD measurements. Based on collective XRD, SEM, TEM, and EDAX interpretations, a model for morphological evolution of NS was proposed and the pivotal role of Fe dopant was deciphered.