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A Comparative Investigation on the Structural, Optical and Electrical Properties of SiO2–Fe3O4 Core–Shell Nanostructures with Their Single Components

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Acta Metallurgica Sinica (English Letters) Aims and scope

Abstract

The SiO2–Fe3O4 core–shell nanostructures were synthesized by sol–gel chemistry. The morphological features of the nanostructures were examined by field emission scanning electron microscopy which revealed the core–shell nature of the nanoparticles. X-ray diffraction studies evidenced the formation of SiO2–Fe3O4 core–shell nanostructures with high degree of homogeneity. The elemental composition of the SiO2–Fe3O4 core–shell nanostructures was determined by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed the Si–O–Fe stretching vibrations. On analysis of the optical properties with UV–Vis spectra and Tauc’s plot, it was found that the band gap of SiO2–Fe3O4 core–shell nanostructures diminished to 1.5 eV. Investigation of the electrical properties of the core–shell nanostructures using field-dependent conductivity measurements presented a significant increase in photoconductivity as compared to those of its single components, thereby rendering them as promising candidates for application as photoelectrodes in dye-sensitized solar cells.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank the facility provided by the National Centre for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, University of Madras. The authors also acknowledge the academic and technical support extended by Loyola Institute of Frontier Energy (LIFE), Loyola College, Chennai.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, Energy NanoTechnology Centre (ENTeC), Loyola Institute of Frontier Energy (LIFE), Loyola College, Chennai, 600 034, India

    Neena Bachan, W. Jothi Jeyarani & J. Merline Shyla

  2. Department of Physics, Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan College of Engineering and Technology, Chennai, 603 104, India

    A. Asha

  3. Department of Physics, Shri Andal Alagar College of Engineering, Chennai, 600 026, India

    D. Arun Kumar

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  1. Neena Bachan
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  2. A. Asha
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  3. W. Jothi Jeyarani
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Correspondence to J. Merline Shyla.

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Bachan, N., Asha, A., Jothi Jeyarani, W. et al. A Comparative Investigation on the Structural, Optical and Electrical Properties of SiO2–Fe3O4 Core–Shell Nanostructures with Their Single Components. Acta Metall. Sin. (Engl. Lett.) 28, 1317–1325 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40195-015-0328-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40195-015-0328-3

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