La-DOPED ZNO THIN FILMS PREPARED BY SPRAY PYROLYSIS WITHMOVING NOZZLE: STUDY OF PHYSICAL PROPERTIES AND ADSORPTION ABILITY OF THE COPPER

0-5wt.% Lanthanum doped zinc oxide thin films were elaborated by spray pyrolysis technique, with moving nozzle, on 375 degrees C heated glass. Zinc acetate and Lanthanum chloride are used as sources precursor of ZnO and La doping, respectively. Effect of lightly 0-5wt.% La amount concentration on optical, structural, topographical properties of La-doped ZnO thin films and their adsorptive ability on the copper ions from water, were investigated. In the visible range, the transmittance of all samples is greater than 75% and increases after La doping. Optical gap was found to be in 3.26-3.28eV scale. X-ray diffraction showed that the thin films have hexagonal wurtzite structure with a strong (002) as preferred orientation, whereas the crystalline size was ranged in 17.23-37.41nm. An enhancement in the removal of the ion copper from water solution was observed after La doping. As a result Lanthanium is a good quality doping element for increasing the adsorptive ability of ZnO thin films by augmenting its active surface area or by intesifaying the permanent polarity along c direction.