Structural and optical properties of sol gel synthesized NiO nanoparticles

Wide range of applications of transition metal oxide has prompted research in many advanced fields. This paper reports the synthesis of cubic NiO nanoparticle with average crystallite size∼21 nm via simple and cost effective sol gel method. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transformed Infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, and Ultra-violet Visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy were performed for the determination of the structural and optical properties of the synthesized nanoparticles. XRD analysis confirmed the formation of highly crystalline, pure phase, face centered cubic NiO nanoparticles. The optical band gap determined using UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy indicates that the absorption edge of these nanoparticles lies in the ultra-violet region of the optical spectra, which confirms the potential of these nanoparticles to be used as selective solar absorbers and transparent heat mirrors.