Preparation and gas sensing properties of the nutlike ZnO microcrystals via a simple hydrothermal route

Large-scale uniform nutlike ZnO microcrystals are successfully synthesized via a facile hydrothermal process at low temperature (95 °C). The structure and morphology of the ZnO products are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results reveal that the as-prepared ZnO products have average length of 2.2 µm and diameter of 1.8 µm, possessing a single crystal wurtzite structure. The possible formation mechanism of nutlike microcrystals is proposed. The samples exhibit excellent ethanol sensing properties at the operating temperature of 250 °C detecting ethanol as low as 1 ppm.     

Fabrication of novel hierarchical ZnO via ultrasonic assisted hydrothermal route and their gas sensing property

Novel hierarchical ZnO nanomaterials with castellated and turriform morphologies were successfully synthesized by ultrasonic assisted hydrothermal route. The morphology and structure of products were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction, respectively. The results show that as-prepared castellated ZnO microrods have six-equal axis symmetry features with the length of 2–4 μm and the diameter of about 1 μm, and ZnO with turriform morphology has radical branch structure with the diameter ranging from 500 to 700 nm. It is found that initial alkaline concentration of the solution plays a crucial role in determining two kinds of hierarchical morphologies by etching ZnO crystal during hydrothermal process. A possible formation mechanism of castellated and turriform ZnO microstructures is also proposed. Gas sensing of hierarchical ZnO to different gases was also examined. The result indicates turriform ZnO sensor has fast response properties and excellent selective resolution capability to C₂H₅OH gas.     

Preparation and ethanol sensing properties of the superstructure SnO2/ZnO composite via alcohol-assisted hydrothermal route

Self-assembled superstructure of SnO₂/ZnO composite was synthesized by using alcohol-assisted hydrothermal method gas sensing properties of the material were investigated by using a static test system. The structure and morphology of the products were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and field-emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM). The diameter of the SnO₂ nanorods was about 40 nm with a length of about 300 nm, SnO₂ nanorods and ZnO nanosheets interconnect each other to form a superstructure. The gas sensing properties of superstructure SnO₂/ZnO composite with different content of ZnO were investigated. Furthermore, the superstructure SnO₂/ZnO composite sensor is characterized at different operating temperatures and its long-term stability in response to ethanol vapor is tested over a period of 3 months.     

掺多壁碳纳米管的ZnO对乙醇的气敏性能

采用化学气相沉积法制备了多壁碳纳米管(MWNTs),并向ZnO粉体中掺入不同比例的MWNTs,利用扫描电子显微镜(SEM)对合成物进行了表征,以该合成物为敏感材料制成了旁热式结构的气体传感器,通过元件对乙醇气敏特性的测试表明,MWNTs的掺杂显著地提高了ZnO气敏材料对乙醇气体的灵敏度,当乙醇气体浓度为5.0×10-5时,元件的灵敏度为46,响应恢复时间分别为4和20s,并测试了传感器对于常见干扰气体的灵敏度,表明器件具有良好的选择性。     

Synthesis of cup-like ZnO microcrystals via a CTAB-assisted hydrothermal route

Cup-like ZnO microcrystals were successfully synthesized by using a CTAB-assisted hydrothermal route. Zn(CH₃COO)₂·2H₂O was used as the only precursor to generate cup-like ZnO microcrystals. The morphologies and structures of the samples were characterized by XRD and SEM. The XRD pattern shows that the cup-like ZnO microcrystals are hexagonal. The SEM investigation reveals that the as-prepared ZnO product has cup-like morphology. CTAB was found to play a crucial role in determining the cup-like morphologies. A possible formation process of the cup-like ZnO microcrystals was proposed. Optical property of the product was also investigated by fluorophotometer at room temperature.     

Gas sensing properties of ZnO nanorods prepared by hydrothermal method

ZnO nanorods are prepared by a hydrothermal process with cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and zinc powder at 182°C. The samples are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The gas sensing properties of the materials have been investigated. The results indicate that the as-prepared ZnO nanorods are uniform with diameters of 40–80 nm and lengths about 1 μm, the relatively high sensitivity and stability of these sensors made from ZnO nanorods demonstrate the potential for developing a new class of stable and very sensitive sensors.     

Photocatalytic behaviors of porous ZnO hierarchical structures fabricated via a precursor-pyrolyzing route

It is of significance to develop porous ZnO photocatalysts with high activity. In this paper, three kinds of hierarchical ZnO porous structures were fabricated by a precursor transformation of hierarchical Zn₅(CO₃)₂(OH)₆ structures synthesized in the zinc salts and urea aqueous solution. The microstructure characterization demonstrates that the obtained ZnO materials are porous structure and quasi-single-crystal nature. The solid UV–vis and PL spectra indicate that the porous ZnO with different morphologies have similar photoabsorption ability but different ratioes of green-to-UV emission, respectively. These porous ZnO samples with different structures exhibit different photocatalytic efficiency. More importantly, the photocatalytic activity of porous ZnO fabricated by the precursor-pyrolyzing method is inversely proportional to the content of surface defects under other influence factors comparable. This result inconsistent with references was also discussed.     

Embedding ZnO nanorods into porous cellulose aerogels via a facile one-step low-temperature hydrothermal method

A facile effective one-step low-temperature hydrothermal approach was employed to in situ embed ZnO nanorods into the porous cellulose aerogels. Besides, the preparation of cellulose aerogels is based on a green NaOH/polyethylene glycol solution. The rod-like ZnO has average diameter of about 348 nm and length of about 1.49 μm, and displays wurtzite phase. Meanwhile, the scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscopy observations confirm that the nanorods are tightly anchored to the aerogels matrixes, and exhibit good dispersion without dramatic agglomeration, indicating that the cellulose aerogels are a class of ideal green matrix materials to support nanoparticles. Moreover, the method might also be extended to fabricate other multifunctional cellulose-based nanocomposites.     

Preparation of mono-dispersed carbonaceous spheres via a hydrothermal process

Mono-dispersed carbonaceous spheres (CS) with a narrow size distribution were synthesized via hydrothermal treatment of glucose. The effects of hydrothermal temperature and time, glucose concentration and pH value of solution were investigated in detail. Structures and surface properties of as-prepared products were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Induced coupled plasma emission spectroscopy (ICP), thermogravimetric analysis/differential scanning calorimetry (TG/DSC), Nitrogen adsorption/desorption and Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The results showed that the production yield of CS increased from 2.1 to 32% with increasing the temperature from 160 to 180 °C, and the average size increased from 0.23 to 0.95 μm with extending the hydrothermal time from 8 to 16 h. pH value of the starting solution showed an evident effect on the morphology of CS via affecting the decomposition products of glucose. CS could be obtained when the pH value of starting solution was less than 12, but further increasing the pH value to 13–14 led to the formation of lumpy aggregations of carbon rather than spherical CS. The CS prepared under pH 6 and 9 showed good adsorption capacity for Methylene blue (MB), which was attributed to their relatively high specific surface area.     

The structural and optical properties of ZnO nanorods via citric acid-assisted annealing route

ZnO nanorods with diameters ranging from 25 to 88 nm and with length up to 1 μm were obtained via citric acid-assisted annealing route. The sample was characterized by X-ray diffraction, field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), Raman spectrometer, FTIR spectrophotometer, ultraviolet visible (UV–VIS) spectroscopy, and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. It demonstrates that the sample is composed of ZnO with hexagonal structure and the ZnO nanorods are of excellent optical quality.     

Synthesis of nestlike ZnO hierarchically porous structures and analysis of their gas sensing properties

Nestlike 3D ZnO porous structures with size of 1.0-3.0 μm have been synthesized through annealing the zinc hydroxide carbonate precursor, which was obtained by a one-pot hydrothermal process with the assistance of glycine, Na(2)SO(4), and polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP). The nestlike 3D ZnO structures are built of 2D nanoflakes with the thickness of ca. 20 nm, which exhibit the nanoporous wormhole-like characteristic. The measured surface area is 36.4 m(2)g(-1) and the pore size is ca. 3-40 nm. The unique nestlike 3D ZnO porous structures provided large contacting surface area for electrons, oxygen and target gas molecules, and abundant channels for gas diffusion and mass transport. Gas sensing tests showed that the nestlike 3D ZnO porous structures exhibit excellent gas sensing performances such as high sensitivity and fast response and recovery speed, suggesting the potential applications as advanced gas sensing materials.     

氧化锌空心球的制备及其气敏性能研究

以新制的碳球为模板在溶液相中制备了氧化锌空心球,并制成气敏元件,进行了气敏性能测试。结果表明,氧化锌空心球气敏元件对乙醇、丙酮和三乙胺有很好的敏感性。尤其是对三乙胺和乙醇分别在175℃和400℃表现出高的灵敏度和快的响应特性。     

A simple one-step solvothermal synthesis of hierarchically structured ZnO hollow spheres for enhanced selective ethanol sensing properties

A simple one-step solvothermal method, using ethanolamine as solvent without any additives except zinc source, has been employed to synthesize hierarchically structured ZnO hollow spheres consisting of numerous orderly and radical nanorods with diameter of several tens nanometers and length of 2–3 μm. The ethanolamine and the solvothermal process play the critical role in the synthesis of the ZnO hollow spheres by the primary formation of ZnO crystal nucleus and subsequent transformation into nanorods, which self-assemble into hollow spheres. The morphology and structure of the spheres have been characterized by transmission electron microscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller N₂ adsorption–desorption analyses. The results also indicate that the sensor based on the prepared ZnO hollow spheres exhibit good ethanol sensing performance, which can be attributed to its structural defects and high surface-to-volume ratio that significantly facilitate the absorption of oxygen species and diffusion of target gas. Besides, the sensor shows high selectivity to ethanol because ZnO as a basic oxide is favored for dehydrogenation of ethanol.     

ZnO nanoparticles: hydrothermal synthesis and 4-nitrophenol sensing property

In this paper reports a facile hydrothermal synthesis, characterization and sensing application of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures. ZnO nanostructures were synthesized by mixing triethylamine (TEA) with zinc nitrate at 60?°C followed by calcination at 650?°C for 6 h. The detailed characterizations conformed the synthesized ZnO nanostructures. Powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and Raman spectral analysis confirmed the formation of hexagonal ZnO. Band gap of the ZnO nanoparticles was determined by UV–visible absorption spectroscopy. Morphology and size of the sample was examined by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM). It shows that the sample has rod and hexagonal morphology. Elemental composition was determined by energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy. The ZnO was coated on glassy carbon electrode (ZnO/GCE) and it was utilized as an electrochemical sensor for 4-nitrophenol (4-Np). Sensitivity and detection limit of ZnO/GCE towards 4-Np was found to be 0.04 µA/mM and 2.09?×?10^?5 M. The result suggests that ZnO has suitable sensor detection of 4-Np.     

Structural and magnetic properties of Mn-doped ZnO nanorod arrays grown via a simple hydrothermal reaction

High density Mn-doped ZnO nanorod arrays were vertically grown on ITO substrate via hydrothermal reaction at relatively low temperature of 95 °C. The microstructure and magnetism of the arrays have been examined. Field emission scanning electron microscopy shows that the nanorods of 100 nm diameter and 1 μm length grow along the [001] direction. X-ray photoemission spectroscopy demonstrates that Mn is successfully doped into the nanorods. Meanwhile, all the Mn-doped ZnO nanorod arrays are ferromagnetic at room temperature. It is also found that the value of the saturation magnetization (M_s) of the ZnO nanorod arrays firstly increases with increasing the Mn concentration and then decreases. The higher M_s value is 0.11emu/g, which is obtained in the 5 at.% Mn-doped ZnO nanorod arrays. The ferromagnetism comes from the ferromagnetic interaction between the Mn ions, which partly replace Zn ions.     

Gas sensing performance of nanocrystalline ZnO prepared by a simple route

The nanocrystalline powders of pure and Al³⁺-doped ZnO with hexagonal structure were prepared by a simple hydrothermal decomposition route. The structure and crystal phase of the powders were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and the microstructure by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). All the compositions exhibited a single phase, suggesting a formation of solid solution between Al₂O₃ and ZnO. DC electrical properties of the prepared nanoparticles were studied by DC conductivity measurements. The indirect heating structure sensors based on pure and doped ZnO as sensitive materials were fabricated on an alumna tube with Au electrodes. Gas-sensing properties of the sensor elements were measured as a function of concentration of dopant, operating temperature and concentrations of the test gases. The pure ZnO exhibited high response to NH₃ gas at an operating temperature of 200 °C. Doping of ZnO with Al³⁺ increased its response towards NH₃ and the Al³⁺-doped ZnO (3.0 wt% Al₂O₃) showed the maximum response at 175 °C. The selectivity of the sensor elements for NH₃ against different reducing gases like LPG, H₂S and H₂ was studied. The results on response and recovery time were also discussed.     

Preparation of ZnO nanodisks using hydrothermal method and sensing to reductive gases

ZnO nanodisks exhibiting regular hexagonal structures were successfully synthesized using two surfactants via a hydrothermal method. The surfactants, namely, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide and sodium dodecyl sulfate, had vital functions in the formation of nanodisk structures. The fabricated ZnO nanodisk-based sensor was exposed to reductive gases. The performance of the developed gas sensor to formaldehyde was superior than that to ethanol. The highest sensitivity values for formaldehyde and ethanol (150 ppm) were 81.6 and 43.2, respectively, at an optimal temperature of 300 °C.     

Single-crystalline twinned ZnO nanoleaf structure via a facile hydrothermal process

A single-crystalline twinned ZnO nanostructure with a 2-dimensional leaf-like morphology (nanoleaves) was synthesized using a facile hydrothermal strategy. The ZnO nanoleaves had 2-fold symmetric branches, which were identified by the existence of an inversion domain boundary (IDB) along the [2110] growth direction of the ribbon-like stems with both side surfaces of the stems terminated with a chemically active Zn-(0001) plane. A proposed growth mechanism suggested that the formation of IDB and the leaf-like shape are related to the dissolution of seed particles on the substrate surfaces and an OH- shielding effect in solution, respectively. Optical measurements revealed visible emission, suggesting the possession of defects in the as-grown and annealed ZnO nanoleaves. In addition, various ZnO nanostructures were synthesized by simply controlling the fabrication conditions.     

Phase and morphology evolution of bismuth ferrites via hydrothermal reaction route

Phase-controlled synthesis of bismuth ferrites has been achieved via hydrothermal route by adjusting the KOH concentration. The as-prepared powders were characterized by X-ray diffraction, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, and selected area electron diffraction. The particle morphologies of the as-prepared powders evolve from nanoflakes, to self-assembled particles, and microparticles when the concentration of KOH was changed from 1.5 M, 2.5 M, to 3.5 M, and 5 M. Correspondingly, the main phase of the samples changed from orthorhombic Bi₂Fe₄O₉, both Bi₂Fe₄O₉ and BiFeO₃, to pure rhombohedral BiFeO₃. On the basis of these experiments, the phase formation and morphology evolution mechanism of the samples are discussed. Furthermore, the photocatalytic activity of the as-prepared samples was investigated by the photo-degradation of rhodamine-B solution.