| dc.description.abstract | Iron-doped zinc oxide nanoparticles (Fe: ZnO NPs) have gained attention in biomedical fields due to their
tunable optical properties and potential as biomedical agents. However, the influence of growth temperature on their
structural integrity and luminescence performance remains unexplored. This study investigated the effect of varying growth
temperature on the structural and optical properties of Fe: ZnO NPs to optimize their performance for potential bioimaging
applications. Fe: ZnO NPs were synthesized using the sol-gel technique at different growth temperatures room temperature
(RT), 35°C, 45°C, 55°C, 65°C, 75°C, 85°C, 95°C) and their structural and optical characterization was carried out using
X-ray diffractometer (XRD), photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, and Ultraviolet-Visible spectrometer (UV- Vis). XRD
results confirmed the retention of a single-phase hexagonal wurtzite structure, and the slight shift in peaks showed the
successful incorporation of Fe. Optical properties showed systematic absorbance modulation, a blue shift, and reduced
optical bandgap (3.0 eV) at 65°C. PL revealed strong UV emission peaks in the 410-470 nm region, indicating enhanced
near-band-edge (NBE) emission, which was optimized at 65°C and quenched at higher growth temperatures. Growth
temperature at 65°C yields optimum optical and structural properties, therefore not only addressing the existing knowledge
gap on temperature-dependent optimization of Fe: ZnO NPs for bioimaging but also establishing a foundation for future
nanomedical applications of these NPs. | en_US |
