6–10 Jul 2026
University of the Western Cape
Africa/Johannesburg timezone
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Luminescent Enhancement of ZnO-SnO2 Heterostructures Doped with Pr3+

8 Jul 2026, 16:20
1h 20m
Great Hall ( University of the Western Cape)

Great Hall

University of the Western Cape

Poster Presentation Track A - Physics of Condensed Matter and Materials Poster Session 2

Speaker

Tahleho Mofokeng (University of The Free State)

Description

This study aims to enhance the photoluminescence properties of ZnO–SnO₂ heterostructures (ZS-H) through Pr³⁺ doping at different concentrations for potential use in optoelectronic coatings. The main challenges in optoelectronic coatings are achieving multifunctionality, as improving electrical conductivity often reduces optical transparency and flexibility, while defects and infrared reflections further limit performance. To the best of our knowledge, doping ZS-H with Pr³⁺ for optoelectronic coating applications has not been reported previously. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) showed that both the hexagonal wurtzite ZnO and tetragonal SnO₂ phases were present, with an extra peak at 2θ = 29.9° which belongs to zinc stannate. No change in structure was observed after doping ZS-H, while crystallinity improved as the Pr³⁺ concentration increased. Photoluminescence showed the emission of Pr³⁺, and the luminescence intensity increased with increasing dopant concentration. The enhanced crystallinity and photoluminescence intensity suggest that this material holds strong potential for applications in optoelectronic coatings.

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Author

Tahleho Mofokeng (University of The Free State)

Co-authors

Prof. Hendrik Swart (University of The Free State) Prof. Lehlohonolo Koao (University of The Free State) Dr Moipone Malimabe (University of The Free State) Prof. Setumo Motloung (Central University of The Free State) Prof. Tshwafo Motaung (Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University)

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