Zinc oxide (ZnO) nano-powder has been successfully doped, via a solid-state reaction, with different concentrations of yttrium (Y) rare-earth element. The thermal stability of the prepared nanostructures has been studied by thermogravimetric and differential thermal analysis. The results show that Y-doped ZnO nanostructures are thermally stable for temperatures higher than 444°C. Structural, microstructural, optical, and photocatalytic characterizations have been performed. The micro-strain properties were analyzed through the Williamson–Hall analysis. We have identified a pure phase wurtzite material, without any impurities. XRD peaks exhibited a shift toward the lower angles after doping, confirming the Y³⁺ substitution in the ZnO crystal structure. In accordance with the XRD analysis, morphological surface analysis done by scanning and transmission electron microscope indicates that, with increasing the concentration of the Y³⁺ ions inside the ZnO matrix, the grain size also increases. Fourier-transform infrared spectra showed that the various bonds were created without any contamination after substitution. Ultraviolet–visible–near-infrared spectroscopic measurements revealed a red-shift of the bandgap energy of 0.1 eV, confirming the success of the substitution process. To assess the photocatalytic activity, the photodegradation of methylene blue was studied. It was observed that the Y-dopant significantly improves the photocatalytic activity of the ZnO nanostructures. Bandgap narrowing by Y doping could be responsible for the improvement of the observed photocatalytic efficiency.

氧化锌（ZnO）纳米粉已通过固相反应成功掺杂了不同浓度的钇（Y）稀土元素。通过热重分析和差热分析研究了制备的纳米结构的热稳定性。结果表明，Y掺杂的ZnO纳米结构在高于444°C的温度下具有热稳定性。已经进行了结构，微观结构，光学和光催化表征。通过Williamson-Hall分析来分析微应变特性。我们确定了一种纯相纤锌矿材料，没有任何杂质。掺杂后，XRD峰向较低角度移动，证实了Y ³⁺ZnO晶体结构中的取代。根据XRD分析，通过扫描和透射电子显微镜进行的表面形态分析表明，随着Y ³⁺浓度的增加离子在ZnO基质内部时，晶粒尺寸也会增加。傅立叶变换红外光谱表明，取代后产生的各种键没有任何污染。紫外-可见-近红外光谱测量显示带隙能量为0.1 eV的红移，证实了取代过程的成功。为了评估光催化活性，研究了亚甲基蓝的光降解。观察到Y掺杂剂显着改善了ZnO纳米结构的光催化活性。通过Y掺杂使带隙变窄可能是所观察到的光催化效率提高的原因。