High Pressure Induced Electrical Resistivity Reduction on Mn-Doped CeO2Nanoparticles

Pristine and Mn-doped CeO2 nanoparticles is synthesized via chemical precipitation technique. The physical properties of the prepared ceria are characterized using analytical experimental techniques. X-ray powder diffraction pattern of the prepared samples show the formation of single phase cubic structured CeO2 nanoparticles without any secondary impurities. This result is supported by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) analysis. Surface morphology of the nanoparticles is visibly observed through scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Optical activity of the samples were measured through UV-vis DRS spectrophotometer which shows strong ultraviolet (UV) absorption band about 300 nm for the pure and doped samples. The study about pressure-induced electrical resistivity of the material reveals that the increase in pressure from 0 to 7.8 GPa leads to the decreasing trend of electrical resistivity, which is mostly due to the presence of Mn-ions and reduced particle size and not from the electronic phase transition during pressurization.