Nano 2026

To improve the dielectric properties of ZnO for different applications, copper-doped Zn1-ₓCuₓO nanoparticles were synthesized via Co-Precipitation. The structural, morphological, and dielectric properties of the synthesized samples were systematically investigated using various characterization techniques.
X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed that all samples crystallize into a hexagonal wurtzite structure [1,2]. XRD data were utilised to determine several structural parameters, including unit cell volume, crystallite size, lattice constants, density, microstrain and dislocation density. Variations in lattice parameters, crystallite size, and unit cell volume clearly indicate the successful doping of Cu⁺² ions into the ZnO lattice[3,4], which consequently led to a reduction in both the real and imaginary components of impedance.
Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed that the pure ZnO sample exhibited a nanosheet-like morphology, whereas copper incorporation resulted in a morphological transition toward nanorod-like structures [5,6]. The dielectric analysis demonstrated that Cu doping enhances the AC electrical conductivity and reduces the resistivity of ZnO [7,8]. Furthermore, with increasing copper concentration and under varying temperature and frequency conditions (25 Hz–2 MHz), a significant decrease in the magnitude of impedance and a corresponding increase in electrical conductivity were observed [9]. These findings confirmed that copper doping effectively tailored the structural and dielectric performance of ZnO nanoparticles, achieving the desired objectives of this study.

Muhammad Waqas Malik completed his undergraduate degree back in 2014 from Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science and Technology, Islamabad. During his BS, he had a group thesis with Raja Muhammad Naveed on the topic of Magnetic Spatial Stress Analysis from the perspective of Faraday Rotation in Flint Glass. He qualified his MS from Air University Islamabad in 2023 with research in the field of material science, specifically nanomaterials. He worked on the dielectric properties of metal oxide nanomaterials. Nowadays, he is pursuing his PhD admission in an institution of international repute.