Cation distribution in co-doped ZnAl2O4 nanoparticles studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and 27Al solid-state NMR spectroscopy.

Co(x)Zn(1-x)Al(2)O(4) (x = 0.01-0.6) nanoparticles were synthesized by the citrate sol-gel method and were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction and transmission electron microscopy to identify the crystalline phase and determine the particle size. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and (27)Al solid-state NMR spectroscopy were used to study the distribution of the cations in the tetrahedral and octahedral sites in Co(x)Zn(1-x)Al(2)O(4) nanoparticles as a function of particle size and composition. The results show that all of the as-synthesized samples exhibit spinel-type single phase; the crystallite size of the samples is about 20-50 nm and increases with increasing annealing temperature and decreases with Co-enrichment. Zn(2+) ions are located in large proportions in the tetrahedral sites and in small proportions in the octahedral sites in Co(x)Zn(1-x)Al(2)O(4) nanoparticles. The fraction of octahedral Zn(2+) increases with increasing Co concentration and decreases with increasing particle size. Besides the tetrahedral and octahedral coordinations, the presence of the second octahedrally coordinated Al(3+) ions is observed in the nanoparticles. The change of the inversion parameter (2 times the fraction of Al(3+) ions in tetrahedral sites) with Co concentration and particle size is consistent with that of the Zn fraction in octahedral sites. Analysis of the absorption properties indicates that Co(2+) ions are located in the tetrahedral sites as well as in the octahedral sites in the nanoparticles. The inversion degree of Co(2+) decreases with increasing particle size.