Advanced XRD peak broadening analysis of gallium-doped ZnO nanoparticles for crystallite size evaluation

This study investigates the most reliable approach for determining the crystallite size of nanoparticles through advanced X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. Gallium-doped zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) were synthesized via a gelatin-assisted sol-gel method with Ga concentrations of 0%, 3%, 9%, and 15%. Structural characterization was performed using XRD, and crystallite size and lattice strain were evaluated through multiple analytical methods, including Scherrer's equation, the Williamson-Hall (W-H) method, and both simple and modified Size-Strain Plot (SSP and MSSP) techniques. These complementary approaches enabled clear separation of size and strain effects, offering deeper insight into the microstructural evolution with increasing Ga content. The results revealed that higher Ga doping led to smaller crystallite sizes and increased lattice strain. Overall, the findings demonstrate that the MSSP method provides superior accuracy for nanoscale material characterization and highlight the significant influence of Ga incorporation on the structural properties of ZnO nanoparticles.