Synthesis and optical properties of MgO-doped ZnO microtubes using microwave heating

The Zn_1−xMg_xO (x = 0%, 2% and 5%) microtubes have been successfully synthesized via a microwave heating method. The as synthesized microtubes were carefully investigated. Field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) showed that all the microtubes exhibit an exact hexagonal hollow structure with smooth surfaces and straight characteristics throughout their whole lengths. UV–Vis measurement indicates that the absorption peak for ZnO microtube was shifted from 378.88 nm (3.27 eV) to 369.91 nm (3.35 eV) for Zn_0.95Mg_0.05O microtube. Room temperature photoluminescence (PL) spectra showed that the intensity of UV emission peak decreased with increase of MgO concentration and the visible emission band showed a blue shift from 538.06812 nm for ZnO microtube to 529.54114 nm for Zn_0.95Mg_0.05O microtube. Energy-dispersive spectrometer (EDS) analysis revealed the presence of Zn and O as the only elementary components with the absence of MgO as a doping material.     

Synthesis,growth mechanism,photoluminescence and field emission properties of metal–semiconductor Zn–ZnO core–shell microcactuses

Metal–semiconductor Zn–ZnO core–shell microcactuses have been synthesized on Si substrate by simple thermal evaporation and condensation route using NH₃ as carrier gas at 600 °C under ambient pressure. Microcactuses with average size of 65–75 μm are composed of hollow microspheres with high density single crystalline ZnO rods. The structure, composition and morphology of the product were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and selected area electron diffraction (SAED). A vapor–liquid–solid (VLS) based growth mechanism was proposed for the formation of Zn–ZnO core–shell microcactuses. Room temperature photoluminescence (PL) investigations revealed a strong and broad blue emission band at 441 nm associated with a weak ultraviolet (UV) peak at 374 nm. This blue emission (BE) is different from usually reported green/yellow-green emission from Zn–ZnO or ZnO structures. The field emission (FE) measurements exhibited moderate values of turn-on and threshold fields compared with reported large field emissions for other materials. These studies indicate the promise of Zn–ZnO core–shell microcactuses for the applications in UV-blue light display and field emission microelectronic devices.     

High yield growth of uniform ZnS nanospheres with strong photoluminescence properties

High yield ZnS nanospheres were generated conveniently in aqueous solution with the assistance of surfactant polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP). The products were characterized by XRD, EDX, XPS, FESEM, TEM and HRTEM. The as-prepared ZnS nanospheres were uniform with an average diameter of 80 nm. The role of PVP in the forming of ZnS nanospheres was investigated. The results indicated that surfactant PVP plays a crucial role on the morphology and size of the products. Moreover, a tentative explanation for the growth mechanism of ZnS nanospheres was proposed. UV–vis and PL absorption spectrum were used to investigate the optical properties of ZnS nanospheres. The UV–vis spectrum indicated that the sample exhibits a dramatic blue-shift. PL spectrum reveals that ZnS nanospheres have a strong visible emission peak centered at 516 nm with excitation light of 400 nm.     

Formation of cobalt hollow nanospheres via surfactant-assisted hydrothermal progress

In the paper we present the synthesis of Co hollow nanospheres by surfactant-assisted hydrothermal method at mild condition. The XRD pattern indicates the sample is hexagonal close-packed (hcp) Co with cell constants a = 2.512 Å and c = 4.102 Å. The Co hollow nanospheres have the outer diameter of about 50–200 nm with the thin wall of 10–20 nm. Room temperature magnetic measurement of the Co hollow nanospheres demonstrates its enhanced ferromagnetic property. The surfactant CTAB might play a vital role in the formation of the hollow Co nanospheres, and simply adapting different reaction temperatures can control the size of these hollow nanospheres. The possible formation mechanism was also discussed.     

Synthesis and characterization of ZnO with hexagonal dumbbell-like bipods microstructures

High crystalline ZnO with hexagonal dumbbell-like bipods morphology was successfully synthesized via N-cetyl-N,N,N-trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB)-assisted hydrothermal microemulsion route. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, photoluminescence spectrum and Ultraviolet and Visible absorption spectroscopy were used to characterize the structure, morphologies and properties of the as-prepared samples. The results demonstrated that the hydrothermal reaction time had obvious influence on the shape and size of the ZnO products. The Ultraviolet and Visible absorption spectra indicated that the as-prepared ZnO had a strong and broad absorption band from ultraviolet to visible region. The photoluminescence spectra of the synthesized ZnO exhibited a very strong UV emission at ～380 nm, indicative of their high crystal quality. Meanwhile, the possible growth mechanism for the formation of hexagonal dumbbell-like ZnO microstructures was proposed.     

Annealing effect on the microstructure and photoluminescence of ZnO thin films

Zinc oxide thin films have been obtained by pulsed laser ablation of a ZnO target in O₂ ambient at a pressure of 0.13 Pa using a pulsed Nd:YAG laser. ZnO thin films deposited on Si (1 1 1) substrates were treated at annealing temperatures from 400 °C up to 800 °C after deposition. The structural and optical properties of deposited thin films have been characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, photoluminescence spectra, resistivity and IR absorption spectra. The results show that the obtained thin films possess good single crystalline with hexagonal structure at annealing temperature 600 °C. Two emission peaks have been observed in photoluminescence spectra. As the post-annealing temperature increase, the UV emission peaks at 368 nm is improved and the intensity of blue emission at 462 nm decreases, which corresponds to the increasing of the optical quality of ZnO film and the decreasing of Zn interstitial defect, respectively. The best optical quality for ZnO thin films emerge at post-annealing temperature 600 °C in our experiment. The measurement of resistivity also proves the decrease of defects of ZnO films. The IR absorption spectra of sample show the typical Zn–O bond bending vibration absorption at wavenumber 418 cm⁻¹.     

Transparent and flexible ultraviolet photodetectors based on colloidal ZnO quantum dot/graphene nanocomposites formed on poly(ethylene terephthalate) substrates

Transparent colloidal ZnO quantum-dot (QD)/graphene nanocomposites were formed on poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) substrates. Ultraviolet (UV)–visible absorption spectra showed a shoulder peak around 350 nm corresponding to the absorption of ZnO QDs. Optical transmittance of the ZnO QD/graphene/PET multilayer was approximately 80%. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy images showed that the ZnO QDs were distributed along the circumferences of the surfaces on the graphene layers. Current–voltage and current–time measurements on the UV photodetector after bending at 300 K exhibited the ON/OFF switching states and stability resulting from the light-induced conductivity of the flexible graphene layer.     

Synthesis,characterization and photocatalytic properties of nanostructured ZnO particles obtained by low temperature air-assisted-USP

ZnO nanoparticles were synthesized in a horizontal three zones furnace at 500 °C using different zinc nitrate hexahydrate concentrations (0.01 M, 0.1 M, and 1.0 M) as a reactive precursor solution by air assisted Ultrasonic Spray Pyrolysis (USP) method. The physico-chemical, structural and functional properties of synthesized ZnO nanoparticles have been characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), Brunauer, Emmett and Teller (BET) method, UV–vis spectroscopy and photoluminescence (PL) measurements. Also, the photocatalytic activities of ZnO synthesized from different precursor concentrations were evaluated by removal rate of methyleneblue (MB) under UV irradiation (365 nm) at room temperature. SEM revealed two types of ZnO nanoparticles: a quasi-spherical, desert-rose like shape of the secondary particles, which does not change significantly with the increasing of precursor solution concentration as well as some content of the broken spheres. Increasing the precursor solution concentration leads to the increase in the average size of ZnO secondary particles from 248 ± 73 to 920 ± 190 nm, XRD reveals the similar tendency for the crystallite size which changes from 23 ± 4 to 55 ± 12 nm in the analyzed region. HRTEM implies the secondary particles are with hierarchical structure composed of primary nanosized subunits. The PL spectra imply a typical broad peak of wavelength centered in the visible region exhibiting the corresponding red-shift with the increase of solution concentration: 560, 583 and 586 nm for the 0.01, 0.1 and 1.0 M solution, respectively. The reported results showed the photocatalytic efficiency of ZnO nanoparticles was enhanced by increased precursor concentration.     

Effects of multiple organic ligands on size uniformity and optical properties of ZnSe quantum dots

The effects of multi-ligands on the formation and optical transitions of ZnSe quantum dots have been investigated. The dots are synthesized using 3-mercapto-1,2-propanediol and polyvinylpyrrolidone ligands, and have been characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV–visible absorption spectroscopy, photoluminescence spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. TEM reveals high monodispersion with an average size of 4 nm. Polymer-stabilized, organic ligand-passivated ZnSe quantum dots exhibit strong UV emission at 326 nm and strong quantum confinement in the UV–visible absorption spectrum. Uniform size and suppressed surface trap emission are observed when the polymer ligand is used. The possible growth mechanism is discussed.     

Effects of intermediate metal layer on the properties of Ga–Al doped ZnO/metal/Ga–Al doped ZnO multilayers deposited on polymer substrate

Ga–Al doped ZnO/metal/Ga–Al doped ZnO multilayer films were deposited on polyethersulfone (PES) substrate at room temperature. The multilayer films consisted of intermediate Ag metal layers, top and bottom Ga–Al doped ZnO layer. The multilayer with PES substrate had advantages such as low sheet resistance, high optical transmittance in visible range and stable mechanical properties. From the results, sheet resistances of multilayer showed 9 Ω/sq with 12 nm of Ag metal layer thickness. Average optical transmittance of multilayer film showed 84% in visible range (380–770 nm) with 12 nm of Ag metal layer thickness. Moreover the multilayers showed stable mechanical properties than single-layered Ga–Al doped ZnO sample during the bending test due to the existence of ductile Ag metal layer.     

UV resistibility of a nano-ZnO/glass fibre reinforced epoxy composite

The harmfulness of ultraviolet (UV) radiation (UVR) to human health and polymer degradation has been the focus recently in all engineering industries. A polymer-based composite filled with nano-ZnO particles can enhance its UV resistibility. It has been found that the use of appropriate amount of nano-ZnO/Isopropyl alcohol solvent to prepare a UV resistant nano-ZnO/glass fibre reinforced epoxy (ZGFRE) composite can effectively block the UV transmission with negligible influence on the crystal structure of its resin system. This paper aims at investigating the interfacial bonding behaviour and UV resistibility of a ZGFRE composite. The solvent effect in relation to the dispersion properties of ZnO in the composite is also discussed. XRD results indicated that 20 wt% Isopropyl alcohol was an effective solvent for filling nano-ZnO particles into an epoxy. SEM examination also showed that the bonding behaviour between glass fibre and matrix was enhanced after filling 20 wt% nano-ZnO particles with 20 wt% Isopropyl alcohol into the composite. Samples filled with 20 wt% nano-ZnO/Isopropyl alcohol and 40 wt% nano-ZnO/Isopropyl alcohol has full absorption of UVA (315–400 nm), UVB (280–315 nm) and a part of UVC (190–280 nm).     

Microwave-assisted hydrothermal synthesis of ZnO rod-assembled microspheres and their photocatalytic performances

ZnO rod-assembled microspheres were successfully fabricated by using the microwave-assisted hydrothermal method in the existence of the poly ethylene glycol (PEG) with the molecular weight of 2000. The structure and morphology of as-prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) equipped with energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and selected area electron diffraction (SAED). The experimental results exhibit that the as-prepared ZnO microspheres with a diameter about 1.5–2.0 μm were composed of many rods with the diameter of 300 nm and the length of 1 μm, respectively. Photoluminescene measurement shows a broad visible emission band centered at around 500–560 nm. The improved catalytic activity may be attributed to structural difference, including morphology, surface orientation and surface defects. Furthermore, the possible growth and photodegradation mechanism of the as-prepared sample is also briefly discussed.     

A study on preparation and photocatalytic characterization of conjugated polymer/ZnS complex

A conjugated polymer/ZnS complex was successfully synthesized and characterized by the methods of FTIR, UV–vis, ESR and TEM. The result showed that the conjugated polymer/ZnS complex could extend the absorption band to the visible region (190–700 nm), whereas pure ZnS could be activated under ultraviolet light (<380 nm) irradiation only. Photocatalytic experiment showed that the conjugated polymer/ZnS complex had extremely high photocatalytic activity for degradation of dyes. The conjugated polymer played an important role in the photocatalytic degradation of dyes.     

Effect of solvents on the synthesis of nano-size zinc oxide and its properties

The effect of the solvents on particle size and morphology of ZnO is investigated. The optical properties of nano ZnO were studied extensively. During this study, zinc oxalate was prepared in aqueous and organic solvents using zinc acetate and oxalic acid as precursors. The thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA/DTA) showed formation of ZnO at 400 °C. Nano-size zinc oxide was obtained by thermal decomposition of aqueous and organic mediated zinc oxalate at 450 °C. The phase purity was confirmed by XRD and crystal size determined from transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was found to be 22–25 nm for the aqueous and 14 –17 nm in organic mediated ZnO. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) also revealed different nature of surfaces and microstructures for zinc oxide obtained in aqueous and organic solvents. The UV absorption spectra showed sharp absorption peaks with a blue shift for organic mediated ZnO, due to monodispersity and lower particle size. Sharp peaks and absence of any impurity peaks in photoluminescence spectra (PLS) complement the above observations.     

Fabrication and characterization of tetrapod-like ZnO nanostructures prepared by catalyst-free thermal evaporation

Tetrapod-like ZnO nanostructures were fabricated on ZnO-coated sapphire (001) substrates by two steps: pulsed laser deposition (PLD) and catalyst-free thermal evaporation process. First, the ZnO films were pre-deposited on sapphire (001) substrates by PLD. Then the ZnO nanostructures grew on ZnO-coated sapphire (001) substrate by the simple thermal evaporation of the metallic zinc powder at 900 °C in the air without any catalysts. The pre-deposited ZnO films by PLD on the substrates can provide growing sites for the ZnO nanostructures. The as-synthesized ZnO nanostructures were characterized by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectrum (FTIR). The results show that the tetrapod-like ZnO nanostructures are highly crystalline with the wurtzite hexagonal structure. Photoluminescence (PL) spectrum of as-synthesized nanostructures exhibits a UV emission peak at ～ 389 nm and a broad green emission peak at ～ 513 nm. In addition, the growth mechanism of ZnO nanostructures is also briefly discussed.     

Photoluminescence study of ZnO nanostructures grown on silicon by MOCVD

ZnO nanostructures with a size ranging from 20 to 100 nm were successfully deposited on (1 0 0)-Si substrates at different temperatures (500–800 °C) using MOCVD. It could be confirmed that the size of ZnO nanostructures decreased with increasing growth temperature. From photoluminescence (PL) studies it was found, that intensive band-edge PL of ZnO nanostructures consists of emission lines with maxima at 368.6 nm, 370.1 nm, 373.7 nm, 383.9 nm, 391.7 nm, 400.7 nm and 412 nm. These lines can be dedicated to free excitons and impurity donor-bound excitons, where hydrogen acts as donor impurity with an activation energy of about 65 meV. A UV shift of the band-edge PL line with increasing growth temperature of ZnO nanostructures was observed as a result of the quantum confinement effect. The results suggest that an increase of growth temperature leads to increased band-edge PL intensity. Moreover, the ratio of band-edge PL intensity to green- (red-) band intensity also increases, indicating better crystalline quality of ZnO nanostructures with increasing growth temperature.     

Low temperature preparation and characterization of CdTiO3 nanoplates

An alternative low cost method was proposed for the low temperature (600 °C) preparation of CdTiO₃ nanoplates, using low-melting-point Cd(NO₃)₂ · 4H₂O and high-reactive-activity TiO₂ nanocrystals as the reactants. The structure, composition, specific surface area, thermal stability and optical properties of the as-synthesized products were characterized by X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area analysis, UV–vis absorption and room temperature photoluminescence spectra. The as-synthesized CdTiO₃ nanoplates were thermally stable at temperatures ≤ 900 °C, and their phase changed from ilmenite to perovskite when heated in air at 1000 °C for 2 h. Besides, they exhibited a strong and broad visible light emission in the range of about 470–750 nm upon laser excitation at 325 nm, enabling their use as a luminescent material.     

Synthesis and optical properties of cubic In2S3 hollow nanospheres

The cubic β-In₂S₃ hollow nanospheres was fabricated via two-step solvothermal approaches using InCl₃·4H₂O, CS₂, and thioacetamide (C₂H₅NS) as the starting materials. The as-prepared cubic β-In₂S₃ possessed hollow nanosphere structures, whose outward diameters and shells are −75 and 20 nm, respectively. The samples were characterized by XRD, FESEM, TEM, SAED, and HRTEM. The optical properties of the cubic β-In₂S₃ hollow nanospheres were also investigated. UV–vis (280 nm) and PL (367 nm) spectra indicate that there exists obvious blue shift compared with the In₂S₃ bulk materials.     

Nb2O5 hollow nanospheres as anode material for enhanced performance in lithium ion batteries

Nb₂O₅ hollow nanospheres of average diameter ca. ～29 nm and hollow cavity size ca. 17 nm were synthesized using polymeric micelles with core–shell–corona architecture under mild conditions. The hollow particles were thoroughly characterized by transmission electron microscope (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermal (TG/DTA) and nitrogen adsorption analyses. Thus obtained Nb₂O₅ hollow nanospheres were investigated as anode materials for lithium ion rechargeable batteries for the first time. The nanostructured electrode delivers high capacity of 172 mAh g^?1 after 250 cycles of charge/discharge at a rate of 0.5 C. More importantly, the hollow particles based electrodes maintains the structural integrity and excellent cycling stability even after exposing to high current density 6.25 A g^?1. The enhanced electrochemical behavior is ascribed to hollow cavity coupled with nanosized Nb₂O₅ shell domain that facilitates fast lithium intercalation/deintercalation kinetics.     

Basic zinc carbonate as a precursor in the solvothermal synthesis of nano-zinc oxide

ZnO nanoparticles were synthesized solvothermally in various diols (ethylene glycol, di(ethylene glycol), tetra(ethylene glycol), 1,2-propanediol, 1,4-butanediol), using basic zinc carbonate (2ZnCO₃·3Zn(OH)₂) as a precursor for the first time. Since ZnCO₃ was sparingly soluble in diols the transformation reaction proceeded at a low reaction rate. Ethylene glycol was found as the most suitable medium among five diols studied yielding the smallest ZnO particles (~ 55 nm) and short reaction time, t_r (2 h). Diols with shorter chain length produced smaller ZnO particles. p-Toluene sulfonic acid (p-TSA) acted as a catalyst and reduced t_r from 8 h to 2 h in concentration of 0.02 M. Optimum reaction conditions for the synthesis in ethylene glycol were 185 °C and 2 h. At higher p-TSA concentrations (0.04–0.08 M) the size of ZnO particles was reduced from 500–800 nm to 50–100 nm and crystallite size to 25–30 nm. Benzene sulfonic acid (BSA) and inorganic bases (LiOH, NaOH, and KOH) also showed catalytic activities. Raman and photoluminescence spectroscopies revealed high concentration of defects on ZnO surface causing the emission of visible light and giving this type of ZnO higher potential in various (opto)-electronic application in comparison to Zn(II) acetate based ZnO.