Synthesis, Optical and Electrochemical Properties of Y2O3 Nanoparticles Prepared by Co-Precipitation Method.

Y2O3 nanoparticles were synthesized by co-precipitation route using yttrium nitrate hexahydrate and ammonium hydroxide as precursors. The prepared sample was calcined at 500 degrees C and subjected to various characterization studies like thermal analysis (TG/DTA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscope (TEM), UV-visible (UV-Vis) and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The XRD pattern showed the cubic fluorite structure of Y2O3 without any impurity peaks, revealing high purity of the prepared sample. TEM images revealed that the calcined Y2O3 nanoparticles consist of spherical-like morphology with an average particle size of 12 nm. The absorption spectrum of calcined samples shows blue-shift compared to the as-prepared sample, which was further confirmed by PL studies. The possible formation mechanism of Y2O3 nanoparticles has been discussed based on the experimental results. Electrochemical behavior of Y2O3 nanoparticles was studied by cyclic voltammetry to assess their suitability for supercapacitor applications.