Investigation of the optical properties of Mg(OH)2 and MgO nanostructures obtained by microwave-assisted methods

Link to publisher's homepage at www.elsevier.com/Two simple methods for the synthesis of Mg(OH)2 nanostructures, MgO nanoflakes and MgO/Mg(OH)2 nanocomposite using a conventional microwave oven are reported. The first method includes the preparation of Mg(OH)2 by a simple reaction of magnesium powder with deionized water under microwave radiation. The second approach relates to the transformation of Mg(OH)2 to MgO nanoflakes and grass-like nanostructures by rapid microwave hybrid heating using a SiC-based composite susceptor. The as-synthesized samples have been characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM) The optical properties of the samples are investigated using UV–visible spectroscopy to study the reflective index and optical dielectric constant

Structural and optical properties of PbI₂ nanostructures obtained using the thermal evaporation method

Lead iodide (PbI2) nanostructures were successfully prepared using the thermal evaporation method on a glass substrate at room temperature. The structural properties were analyzed using X-ray diffraction, which revealed that the crystal size increases as thickness increases. Crystal size was calculated to be in the range 27.3–61.08 nm. In addition, the preferred growth orientation was (001) for all samples. The surface morphologies using scanning electron microscopy have shown an increasing of grain size with increasing thickness. Also, optical properties using ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy were researched as a function of thickness. The absorption data have indicated direct transmission with optical energy band gap that varies continuously from 2.35 to 2.40 eV at room temperature. The refractive index and optical dielectric constant were investigated to verify the suitability of the model for electro-optical systems. The low fluctuation in energy band gap indicates that the grain size is quite small. The obtained results are in good agreement with experimental and theoretical data. </jats:p