Optical and field emission properties of Zinc Oxide nanostructures

Zinc Oxide (ZnO) nano-pikes were produced by oxidative evaporation and condensation of Zn powders. The crystalline structure and optical properties of the ZnO nanostructures (ZnONs) greatly depend on the deposition position of the ZnONs. TEM and XRD indicated that the ZnONs close to the reactor center, ZnON-A, has better crystalline structure than the ZnONs away from the center, ZnON-B. ZnON-A showed the PL and Raman spectra characteristic of perfect ZnO crystals, whereas ZnON-B produced very strong green emission band at 500 nm in the photoluminescence (PL) spectrum and very strong Raman scattering peak at 560 cm(-1), both related to the oxygen deficiency due to insufficient oxidation of zinc vapor. ZnON-B exhibited better field emission properties with higher emission current density and lower turn-on field than ZnON-A.     

Rapid synthesis, characterization and optical properties of TiO2 coated ZnO nanocomposite particles by a novel microwave irradiation method

A novel and rapid microwave method was used to prepare TiO₂ coated ZnO nanocomposite particles. The resulted particles were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Results show that ZnO nanoparticles were coated with 6-10 nm amorphous TiO₂ layers. In addition, zeta potential analysis demonstrated the presence of TiO₂ layer on the surface of ZnO nanoparticles. Photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy and UV-visible spectroscopy were used to investigate the optical properties of the nanoparticles. Compared to uncoated ZnO nanoparticles, the TiO₂ coated ZnO nanoparticles showed enhanced UV emission. The UV-visible diffuse reflectance study revealed the significant UV shielding characteristics of the nanocomposite particles. Moreover, amorphous TiO₂ coating effectively reduced the photocatalytic activity of ZnO nanoparticles as evidenced by the photodegradation of Orange G with uncoated and TiO₂ coated ZnO nanoparticles under UV radiation.     

Synthesis, characterization and optical properties of sheet-like ZnO

Sheet-like ZnO with regular hexagon shape and uniform diameter has been successfully synthesized through a two-step method without any metal catalyst. First, the sheet-like ZnO precursor was synthesized in a weak alkaline carbamide environment with stirring in a constant temperature water-bath by the homogeneous precipitation method, then sheet-like ZnO was obtained by calcining at 600 °C for 2 h. The structures and optical properties of sheet-like ZnO have been characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), photoluminescence (PL) and UV-vis-NIR spectrophotometer. The results reveal that the product is highly crystalline with hexagonal wurtzite phase and has appearance of hexagon at (0 0 0 1) plane. The HRTEM images confirm that the individual sheet-like ZnO is single crystal. The PL spectrum exhibits a narrow ultraviolet emission at 397 nm and a broad visible emission centering at 502 nm. The band gap of sheet-like ZnO is about 3.15 eV.     

Rapid synthesis of ZnO micro/nanostructures in large scale

X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) patterns and field emission scanning electron microscopy (SEM) investigation reveal that large-scale ZnO micro/nanostructured materials have been successfully synthesized via a microwave method within a few minutes. The morphology is controllable and could be easily manipulated by simply varying the reaction time. And a possible formation process is proposed. The room temperature photoluminescence (PL) spectra have also been examined to explore the optical property. The present synthesis method possesses several advantages, which would be significant to the deeper study and wide application of ZnO in the future. It is also envisioned that this method could provide a facile approach to synthesize other desired materials of controllable morphology in a short time.     

Sonochemical assisted synthesis and spectroscopic characterization of Fe3+ doped ZnO diluted magnetic semiconductor

Fe³⁺ doped ZnO nanopowder has been synthesized by sonochemical assistance and characterized by different spectroscopic techniques. The structure, surface morphologies and optical properties were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), photoluminescence spectrometer (PL) and ultraviolet–visible spectrophotometer. XRD reveals that Fe³⁺ ions enter into ZnO lattices without any secondary phases. SEM micrographs of prepared sample show that surface is rough and stone like structure with different sizes. PL studies of Fe³⁺ doped ZnO nanopowder exhibits ultraviolet and blue emission bands. Magnetometric measurements (vibrating sample magnetometer) indicate ferromagnetic behavior at room temperature. This observation is further confirmed by the EPR spectrum of Fe³⁺ doped ZnO at room temperature.     

Synthesis and Characterization of Transition Metals Doped ZnO Nanorods

Different morphologies of undoped and transition metals(Mn,Co and Ni) doped one-dimensional(1D) ZnO nanocrystals were successfully synthesized by chemical method in an air atmosphere using polyvinylpyrrolidone(PVP) as a surfactant.The structure and optical properties were studied by scanning electron microscopy(SEM),transmission electron microscopy(TEM),X-ray diffraction(XRD),thermal gravimetric analysis(TGA),ultraviolet visible(UV-vis) absorption spectra and photoluminescence(PL) spectra.The doped ZnO nanorods exhibited a blue-shifted band gap and enhanced ultraviolet(UV) emission.In addition defect related emission was observed for the doped ZnO.     

Ultrasound assisted one pot synthesis of nano-sized CuO and its nanocomposite with poly(vinyl alcohol)

The ultrasound (US) assisted one pot method has used to synthesize CuO nanoparticles. The fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) spectrum shows a characteristic peak of metal–oxygen bond at 535 cm⁻¹, which confirms the CuO formation. The high resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM) images of the synthesized nano-CuO confirms the size of nanorods with the length of approximately 25–30 nm, and its breadth is less than one nanometer. X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern of CuO can be readily assigned to those of crystalline CuO, indicating the formation of single-phase CuO with monoclinic structure. The synthesized nano-CuO is mixed with poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) to prepare the PVA/CuO nanocomposite to improve the thermal stability of PVA. Their physico-chemical properties are examined by means of FTIR, XRD, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, HRTEM, and scanning electron microscope (SEM) techniques.     

Structural and optical properties of ZnO films grown on the AAO templates

Structural and optical properties of ZnO films grown on Al substrate and anodic alumina oxide (AAO) templates by rf magnetron reactive sputtering deposition were investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic-force microscope (AFM) and photoluminescence (PL). We found that ZnO thin films on Al substrate show good C-axis orientation, while the orientation of ZnO film on AAO templates is disordered, this due to the fact that the crystalline of ZnO is greatly influenced by surface morphology of substrates. PL measurements show a blue band in the wavelength range of 400–500 nm caused by the interstitial Zn in the ZnO films. The intensity of emission peak of ZnO films deposited on AAO templates increases compared with that on the Al substrate. Combining electrical resistivity and carrier concentration measurements, we found that that the blue emission intensity is consistent with the concentration for the interstitial zinc in the ZnO films.     

Dopant induced bandgap narrowing in Y-doped zinc oxide nanostructures

In this report, hydrothermal synthesis and the absorption properties of the cubic shaped zinc oxide nanostructures doped with different amount of yttrium (Y) metal cation (0 to 15 at.%) are demonstrated. The structural and optical properties of chemically synthesized pure and Y doped ZnO powders are investigated by using powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron spectroscopy (FESEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) absorbance, photoluminescence (PL), and Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (FT-IR). It is found that the dopant ions stabilize in wurtzite hexagonal phase of ZnO upto the concentration of less than 6 at.%, which is mainly due to the fact that the ZnO lattice expands and the optical bandgap energy decreases at this level. Increasing the dopant concentration to greater than 6 at.% leads to a contraction of the lattice, which in turn produces a significant structural disorder evidenced by shift in the XRD peaks due to additional interstitial incorporation of Y. The vibrational modes of the metal oxide groups have been identified from the IR transmission spectra. The optical absorption results show that the optical bandgap energy of Y:ZnO nanocrystals is much less as compared to that of the pure bulk ZnO particles. Doping ZnO with trivalent Y produces excess number of electrons in the conduction band and thus, shifts the absorption edge and narrows down to 80 meV approximately. PL spectra are used to study the dependence of doping on the deep-level emission, which show an enhanced blue emission after Y doping. The existence of near band edge (NBE) emission and blue emission, related to zinc interstitials are observed in the luminescence spectra of Zn(1-x)Y(x)O nanostructures.     

Structural and photoluminescence investigation of ZnSe nanocrystals dispersed in organic and inorganic matrices

In this work, we report on the investigation of the effect of dispersion of zinc selenide (ZnSe) nanocrystallites into polystyrene (PS) and silica (SiO₂) thin films on their structural, morphological and photoluminescence properties. The ZnSe/PS nanocomposites thin films were synthesized by a direct dispersion of ZnSe crystallites into polymers solution, whereas the ZnSe–SiO₂ films were prepared on glass substrates by the sol–gel dip-coating technique. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-rays (EDX), UV–visible spectrophotometry and photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL) techniques have been used to study the structural, morphological and optical properties of the prepared nanocomposite thin films. XRD patterns have demonstrated the incorporation of cubic ZnSe in both organic and inorganic matrices. SEM micrographs have indicated that ZnSe dispersion in the films is homogeneous. UV–visible absorption spectra of the nanocomposite thin films have put into evidence that the dispersion of ZnSe nanocrystals in the thin film matrices improved their optical absorption. Room temperature PL spectra have shown that the addition of ZnSe enhanced the UV emission of PS and all the emission of SiO₂ thin films.     

Synthesis of [60]fullerene-ZnO nanocomposite under electric furnace and photocatalytic degradation of organic dyes

Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles were synthesized by a reaction between an aqueous-alcoholic solution of zinc nitrate and sodium hydroxide under ultrasonic irradiation at room temperature. The morphology, optical properties of the ZnO nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and UV-vis spectroscopy. The [60]fullerene and zinc oxide nanocomposite were synthesized in an electric furnace at 700 degrees C for two hours. The [60]fullerene-ZnO nanocomposite was characterized by XRD, SEM and TEM. In addition, the [60]fullerene-ZnO nanocomposite was investigated as a catalyst in the photocatalytic degradation of organic dyes using UV-vis spectroscopy. The photocatalytic activity of the [60]fullerene-ZnO nanocomposite was compared with that of ZnO nanoparticles, heated ZnO nanoparticles after synthesis, pure [60]fullerene, and heated pure [60]fullerene in organic dyes such as methylene blue (MB), methyl orange (MO), and rhodamine B (RhB) under ultraviolet light at 254 nm.     

Effect of ammonia water on the morphology of monoethanolamine-assisted sonochemicaly synthesized ZnO nanostructures

In the present work, ZnO nanostructures were synthesized by monoethanolamine (MEA)-assisted ultrasonic method at low temperature. Structural analysis was carried out by X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed the formation of hexagonal wurtzite structure of ZnO. The effect of ammonia water on the molecular structure of MEA, and its effect on the morphology of ZnO nanostructures were monitored by electron microscopy. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results suggest that ZnO nanoparticles with 100 nm in diameter were produced in case of MEA-assisted ultrasonic method. However, as ammonia water was added into the reaction system the morphology of ZnO nanoparticles changed into nanorods, flower-like nanostructures and finally microrods. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and selected area electron diffraction (SAED) studies showed that as prepared ZnO nanostructures were single crystalline in nature and grew in different directions resulted in the formation of various structures. The growth mechanism of as prepared ZnO nanostructures was discussed in detail. It was proposed that the addition of ammonia water into the reaction system resulted into the formation of ethylene diamine (EDA) which directed the growth of ZnO. The optical property was studied by photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy showed only UV emission and no defects mediated visible emission.     

Enhanced ferromagnetic and photocatalytic properties in Mn or Fe doped p-CuO/n-ZnO nanocomposites

Mn doped CuO/ZnO heterostructure exhibited significant room temperature ferromagnetism and visible light photocatalytic properties. Phase analysis for the pure, Mn and Fe doped CuO/ZnO nanocomposites evidently confirmed the formation of CuO and ZnO phases in each composite without any impurities. Based on Rietveld refinement analysis, the inclusion of Mn ions into CuO/ZnO nanocomposite decreased the unit cell volume of both oxides while Fe ions lead to lattice expansion. Mn ions induced the formation of ZnO hexagonal nanorods in CuO/ZnO nanocomposite. Nano-flakes and spherical nanoparticles shapes were seen for Fe doped CuO/ZnO nanocomposites. The characteristics IR absorption bands of CuO and ZnO overlapped together in their nanocomposites structure. From Kubelka-Munk plots, the incorporation of Mn ions enabled the ZnO band gap to absorb in the visible light region. Pure CuO/ZnO nanocomposite exhibited room temperature ferromagnetism with saturation magnetization (M_s) of 0.042 emu/g and coercivity (H_c) of 547 Oe. The ferromagnetic properties of the pure CuO/ZnO nanocomposite were greatly improved by Mn and Fe doping and the saturation magnetization extremely jumped to 0.86 and 0.85 emu/g, respectively. High photocatalytic activity, 98%, with good reusability for methyl orange (MO) degradation under visible light irradiation was achieved by 4 wt% Mn doped CuO/ZnO nanocomposite. A relation between the crystallinity, band gap and photocatalytic activity with dopant type (Mn or Fe) incorporated into CuO/ZnO nanocomposites was noticed. In contrary to Fe dopant, Mn as dopant played successful roles in improving the crystallinity, band gap and photocatalytic properties of CuO/ZnO nanocomposite. Multifunctional properties can be realized by combining different oxides in heterostructure form and using doping technique.     

Green synthesis of ZnO and ZnO/CuO nanocomposites in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Mentha longifolia</Emphasis> leaf extract: characterization and their application as anti-bacterial agents

In this work, we fabricated ZnO and ZnO/CuO nanocomposites using Mentha longifolia leaf extract as a natural, non-toxic, and efficient stabilizer. Anti-bacterial activities of the prepared samples against two pathogenic bacteria, Escherichia coli (Gram-negative), and Staphylococcus aureus (Gram-positive) were investigated. The properties of the as-prepared samples were characterized by XRD, EDX, SEM, TEM, TGA, FT-IR, UV–Vis DRS, and BET instruments. The XRD analysis indicated that the size of crystallites was decreased for the ZnO powder prepared in the presence of the leaf extract. The SEM images showed that the samples consist of spherical shaped well-distributed particles. In addition, the presence of biomolecules from the leaf extract was revealed by EDX, TGA, FT-IR, and UV–Vis DRS analyses, which are important in biosynthesis process. The highest anti-bacterial activity belonged to the ZnO/CuO (10%) nanocomposite and the other compounds, including ZnO/CuO (5%), ZnO (ext), and ZnO (W) were in the next ranks, respectively. It was observed that the viability percentages against E. coli (10.16?±?2.2) is higher than that of S. aureus (17.1?±?0.87) in the presence of the ZnO/CuO (10%) nanocomposite. Ultimately, the mechanism for the action of the ZnO/CuO (10%) nanocomposite was explored through the SEM images, which involved the disruption of the bacterial membranes.     

Properties of ZnO single quantum wells in ZnMgO nanocolumns grown on Si (1 1 1)

In this paper, we report a method of growing of the catalyst-free self-organized ZnMgO nanocolumns with single quantum well on Si (1 1 1) substrates by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy technique (PA-MBE). The structures were grown without buffer layers. Optical properties of the ZnMgO/ZnO/ZnMgO quantum wells were studied by photo (PL)- and cathodoluminescence (CL) spectroscopy. A detailed analysis of the optical properties has been carried out, including quantum confinement effect and temperature dependence of excitonic emission. The structures reveal intense near band edge emission in PL as well as in CL. Blue shift of excitonic emission from the wells in comparison to bulk ZnO due to the quantum confinement effect is observed. Cross-sectional SEM–CL mapping shows that the ZnO/ZnMgO single quantum wells with different well widths are located in ZnMgO nanocolumns. The crystalline quality of the heterostructure was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD). No phase separation in ZnO/ZnMgO quantum structures was found.     

Growth and properties of aligned ZnO nanowires and their applications to n-ZnO/p-Si heterojunction diodes

Aligned n-ZnO nanowires were synthesized via simple thermal evaporation process by using metallic zinc powder in the presence of oxygen on p-silicon (Si) substrate. The as-synthesized aligned ZnO nanowires were characterized in terms of their structural and optical properties by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction process (XRD) and room-temperature photoluminescence (PL) properties. The detailed structural and optical studies revealed that the as-grown nanowires are single crystalline with the wurtzite hexagonal phase and exhibit good optical properties. From application point of view, the as-grown aligned n-ZnO nanowires on p-Si substrates were used to fabricate heterojunction diodes. The fabricated heterojunction diodes exhibited good electrical (I-V) properties with the turn-on voltage of approximately 1.0 V. A temperature-dependant (from 25 degrees C approximately 130 degrees C), I-V characteristics for the fabricated device was also demonstrated in this paper. The presented results demonstrate that the simply grown aligned n-ZnO nanowires on p-Si substrate can be efficiently used for the fabrication of efficient heterojunction devices.     

Effect of microwave power on the morphology and optical property of zinc oxide nano-structures prepared via a microwave-assisted aqueous solution method

The effect of the microwave power on the morphology and optical properties of zinc oxide nanostructures prepared using a microwave-assisted aqueous solution method has been investigated. The ZnO nanostructures were synthesized from zinc chloride and sodium hydroxide mixed aqueous solutions exposed for 5 min to microwave radiation at four different powers, namely 150, 450, 700 and 1000 W. The morphologies of the samples have been characterized by transmission electron microscope (TEM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The results showed that the power of microwave radiation influenced the shape and size of the synthesized nanostructures. It is also found that the average particle size of nanostructures decreased with decreasing microwave power. The results of X-ray diffraction (XRD) showed that all the as-prepared ZnO nanostructures are in crystalline form with high purity. The infrared (IR) spectra indicated that the as-prepared nano ZnO product can be used as infrared gas sensors such as an infrared carbon dioxide (CO₂) and/or CO sensor. Optical properties of the as-prepared ZnO nanostructures were investigated by UV–vis spectroscopy and showed that the optical properties of as-synthesized ZnO samples are sensitive to the variation of the power of microwave radiation.     

共沉淀法合成钕掺杂ZnO纳米材料及光学性能研究

以硝酸锌和硝酸钕为反应原料,利用共沉淀的方法制备稀土元素钕掺杂氧化锌(ZnO)纳米材料。利用X射线衍射仪(XRD)、红外光谱仪(IR)、差热-热失重(TG-DSC)及荧光光谱仪(PL)对钕掺杂氧化锌纳米材料的晶体结构、热稳定性及发光性能进行了表征。结果表明:钕掺杂改善了氧化锌的光学性能,800℃高温处理的钕掺杂量为7%的氧化锌具有较好的发光性能。     

ZnO thin films deposited by a CVT technique in closed ampoules

ZnO thin films were prepared on quartz glass, Si (100), and sapphire (001) substrates by a chemical vapour transport (CVT) technique. During the growing processes, the source and substrate temperatures were maintained at 1000 °C and 600 °C, respectively. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements showed that the crystalline qualities of ZnO thin films were sensitively dependent on substrates. ZnO thin film deposited on sapphire substrate exhibited the best morphology with the largest crystallite size of more than 20 μm. Meanwhile, the XRD patterns showed that ZnO thin film deposited on sapphire substrate was strongly c-axis preferred-oriented with high crystalline quality. The optical properties of ZnO thin films were investigated by photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy at room temperature (RT). The results suggested that the optical properties of ZnO thin films were highly influenced by their crystalline qualities and surface morphologies.     

反应源温度对ZnO纳米线阵列定向性及发光性能的影响

以Au薄膜为催化剂、ZnO与碳混合粉末为反应源,采用碳热还原法在单晶Si衬底上制备了ZnO纳米线阵列.通过扫描电子显微镜( SEM)、X射线衍射仪(XRD)、荧光分光光度计对样品的表征,研究了反应源温度对ZnO纳米线阵列的定向性和光致发光性能的影响.样品在源温度920℃条件下沿(002)方向择优生长,定向性最好,温度过低不利于ZnO纳米线阵列密集生长,而温度过高导致Zn原子二次蒸发,因而也不利于纳米线阵列的定向和择优生长;样品在源温度880℃有最强的近紫外带边发射,表明温度过高和过低都不利于ZnO晶体结构的优化;由于ZnO纳米线在缺氧氛围下生长,氧空位是缺陷存在的主要形式,因此所有样品都有较强的绿光发射.温度升高导致纳米线生长速度提高而增加了氧空位缺陷数量,从而使样品绿峰强度增强并在源温度920℃时达最大值,但温度的进一步升高可导致ZnO纳米线表面Zn元素的蒸发而降低氧空位缺陷的数量,从而抑制绿峰强度.