Estimation of lattice strain in ZnO nanoparticles: X-ray peak profile analysis

ZnO nanoparticles were synthesized fromchitosan and zinc chloride by a precipitation method. Thesynthesized ZnO nanoparticles were characterized byFourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffractionpeak profile analysis, Scanning electron microscopy,Transmission electron microscopy and Photoluminescence.The X-ray diffraction results revealed that the sample wascrystalline with a hexagonal wurtzite phase. We haveinvestigated the crystallite development in ZnO nanoparticlesby X-ray peak profile analysis. The Williamson–Hallanalysis and size–strain plot were used to study the individualcontributions of crystallite sizes and lattice strain eon the peak broadening of ZnO nanoparticles. Theparameters including strain, stress and energy density valuewere calculated for all the reflection peaks of X-ray diffractioncorresponding to wurtzite hexagonal phase of ZnOlying in the range 20 ̊ –80 ̊ using the modified form ofWilliamson–Hall plots and size–strain plot. The resultsshowed that the crystallite size estimated from Scherrer’sformula, Williamson–Hall plots and size–strain plot, andthe particle size estimated from Transmission electronmicroscopy analysis are very much inter-correlated. Bothmethods, the X-ray diffraction and Transmission electronmicroscopy, provide less deviation between crystallite sizeand particle size in the present case.