Structural and Mechanical Properties of (Co/Cu) Co-doped Nano ZnO

Zn$_{\mathrm{1-x}}$Co$_{\mathrm{x}}$O (x$=$0.01, 0.02, 0.03, 0.04, 0.05 and 0.10) and Zn$_{\mathrm{0.95-x}}$Co$_{\mathrm{0.05}}$Cu$_{\mathrm{x}}$O (x$=$0.0, 0.01, 0.02, 0.03, 0.04 and 0.05) solutions were prepared by sol-gel synthesis using zinc acetate dihydrate, cobalt acetate tetrahydrate and copper acetate tetrahydrate which were dissolved into solvent and chelating agent. Zn$_{\mathrm{1-x}}$Co$_{\mathrm{x}}$O and Zn$_{\mathrm{0.95-x}}$Co$_{0.05}$Cu$_{\mathrm{x}}$O nanoparticles were annealed at 600$^{\circ}$C for 30 min to observe the doping effect on structural and mechanical properties. The particle size, crystal structure, particle morphology and elemental composition were characterized by XRD, SEM and EDS. Vickers microhardness measurements have been done on the sample surfaces using a digital Vickers microhardness tester in the load range of 0.245--2.940 N. In this work, the crystal structure, morphology, and mechanical properties of nanoparticles were presented.