Synthesis and characterization of N-doped zinc oxide nanotetrapods

Nitrogen-doped (N-doped) self-assembled nanotetrapods ZnO were synthesized via chemical vapor deposition process using N₂O as a dopant source via vapor-solid (VS) growth. The decomposition of N₂O gas giving NO and NO₂ during the synthesis provided successful N-doping of the sample. All samples (N-doped and undoped) were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, EDX, photoluminescence (PL), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), and diffuse reflection spectra. After nitrogen-doping process, N-doped ZnO samples show the change in structural and optical properties. The detailed structure and the growth mechanism of individual ZnO tetrapod is characterized by TEM and SEM investigations. The TEM study gives the direct assumption about the formation of zincblende (sphalerite) structure on the initial stage of growth of N-doped tetrapods. Besides, SEM observation indicated that tetrapods have perfect tetrahedral symmetry. N-Doped ZnO samples exhibit a broad orange-red PL emission band, peaking near 2.1 eV, in good agreement with the deep-acceptor model for the nitrogen impurity. An IR absorption peak at 3146 cm^–1 at room temperature was observed for N-doped sample. This peak has been unambiguously assigned to N–H complex.     

微波固相合成氧化锌纳米棒

通过前驱体的微波固相热分解法快速合成了氧化锌纳米棒, 其直径在60～385 nm之间, 长可达数微米. 前驱体则通过一步室温固相反应制备. 用X射线衍射仪(XRD)、扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、能量色散X射线分析(EDX)和透射电子显微镜(TEM)对产物的结构和形貌进行了表征. 同时, 对氧化锌纳米棒的光致发光(PL)性能作了测试, 结果表明在355 nm处有一个明显的近带隙发射峰. 另外, 对比实验表明, 微波辐射在氧化锌纳米棒的形成过程中起了关键性作用, 并对其形成机理进行了初步探讨.     

Influences of Co doping on the structural,optical and magnetic properties of ZnO nanorods synthesized by hydrothermal route

Pure and Co-doped ZnO nanorods have been synthesized by a hydrothermal process. The structure, morphology and properties of as-prepared samples have been studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), photoluminescence (PL) spectrometer as well as by superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID). The structure and morphology analyses show that Co doping can slightly impede the ZnO crystallinity, influence the nanorods morphology, but cannot change the preferred growth orientation of ZnO nanorods. The amount of Co doping contents is about 3.0 at% in ZnO nanorods and dopant Co²⁺ ions substitute Zn²⁺ ions sites in ZnO nanocrystal without forming any secondary phase. The optical measurements show that the Co doping can effectively tune energy band structure and enrich surface states in both UV and VL regions, which lead to novel PL properties of ZnO nanorods. In addition, ferromagnetic ordering of the as-synthesized Zn_1?xCo_xO nanorod arrays has been observed at room temperature, which should be ascribed to sp–d and d–d carrier exchange interactions and presence of abundant defects and oxygen vacancies.     

Characteristics of Ga and Ag-doped ZnO-based nanowires for an ethanol gas sensor prepared by hot-walled pulsed laser deposition

Pure ZnO and Ga (3 % w/w) and Ag (3 % w/w)-doped ZnO nanowires (NWs) have been grown by use of the hot-walled pulse laser deposition technique. The doping characteristics of Ga and Ag in ZnO NWs were analyzed by use of photoluminescence (PL) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and the results were compared with those for pure ZnO NWs. We also fabricated gas sensors by use of pure ZnO and Ga and Ag-doped ZnO NWs. Among the NW sensors, the Ag-doped NW sensor was most sensitive. We synthesized the NWs on sapphire substrates under different conditions, for example temperature, time, gas flow, and distance between target and substrate. The diameter and length of NWs were <100 nm and several microns, respectively. To analyze the effect of Ag doping on ZnO NWs, we investigated the near band edge emission by use of low-temperature PL and XPS. Significant changes in resistance and sensitivity were observed. When the sensors were used at 300 °C for detection of 1 ppm ethanol vapor, the sensitivity of the pure ZnO and the Ga and Ag-doped ZnO NW gas sensors was 97, 48, and 203 %, respectively.     

Polyvinylpyrrolidone-assisted growth and optical properties of ZnO hexagonal bilayer disk-like microstructures

ZnO hexagonal bilayer disk-like microstructures are successfully prepared assisted with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), and the photoluminescence (PL) spectrum of as-prepared ZnO samples showed a very strong ultraviolet (UV) emission at the UV region.     

油分散性氧化锌纳米微粒的制备及表征

采用直接沉淀法制备了异丁酸修饰纳米氧化锌微粒，用XRD、TEM、XPS、IR、UV-Vis、PL等检测手段对样品进行结构表征。结果表明：所制的样品为纤锌矿结构的氧化锌颗粒，粒度约为20 nm，异丁酸分子与表面锌原子以双齿螯合的形式结合。 Zn(II)2p_3/2的结合能与Zn的标准峰位相比，向低结合能方向移动了1.5 eV，其在可见光区比紫外区的荧光发射显著增强。分散性实验表明，样品在有机溶剂中有良好的分散性。     

Structures and optical properties of Zn1?x Ni x O nanoparticles by coprecipitation method

Nanocrystals of undoped and nickel-doped zinc oxide (Zn_1?x Ni _x O, where x?=?0.00?C0.05) were synthesized by the coprecipitation method. Crystalline size, morphology, and optical absorption of prepared samples were determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscope (TEM), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and UV?Cvisible spectrometer. XRD and SEM studies revealed that Ni-doped ZnO crystallized in hexagonal wurtzite structure. Doping of ZnO with Ni²⁺ was intended to enhance the surface defects of ZnO. The incorporation of Ni²⁺ in place of Zn²⁺ provoked an increase in the size of nanocrystals as compared to undoped ZnO. Crystalline size of nanocrystals varied from 10 to 40?nm as the calcination temperature increased. Enhancement in the optical absorption of Ni-doped ZnO indicated that it can be used as an efficient photocatalyst under visible light irradiation. Optical absorption measurements indicated a red shift in the absorption band edge upon Ni doping. The band gap value of prepared undoped and Ni-doped ZnO nanoparticles decreased as annealing temperature was increased up to 800?°C.     

Synthesis and characterization of polycrystalline ZnO/HZSM-5 nanocomposites

Polycrystalline ZnO/HZSM-5 nanocomposites were synthesized by the impregnation method using a home prepared HZSM-5 zeolite as porous support and Zn(C₅H₇O₂)₂ or Zn(NO₃)₂ as zinc precursors. As-prepared samples were characterized by ICP, XRD, SEM (EDS), TEM (SAED), BET and DRS techniques. A small amount of sub-nanometeric ZnO clusters were introduced into the channels of HZSM-5 zeolite. These ZnO clusters exhibited absorption band onset at about 280 nm, different from ZnO particles at about 370 nm. The significant blue shift possesses high quantum size effect in sub-nanometeric ZnO clusters. SAED and TEM images revealed that the ZnO nanoparticles, supported on the surface of HZSM-5 zeolite, were identified as polycrystalline structure with the particle size of about 20-25 nm. XRD results provided evidence of the strong host-guest interactions between HZSM-5 framework and ZnO structure. The samples prepared by Zn(C₅H₇O₂)₂ were more porous and smaller than those prepared from the Zn(NO₃)₂. This was confirmed by SEM and XRD results.     

Synthesis, characterization and photoluminescence properties of Ce3+-doped ZnO-nanophosphors

The present study involves the synthesis of Ce³⁺ doped ZnO nanophosphors by the zinc nitrate and cerium nitrate co-precipitation method. The synthesized nanophosphors were characterized with respect to their crystal structure, crystal morphology, particle size and photoluminescence (PL) properties using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM)/energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), transmission electron microscopy (TEM)/Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and PL-spectroscopy respectively. XRD results revealed that ZnO nanophosphors are single phase and cubic type structures. Further, PL spectra of ZnO:Ce³⁺ nanophosphors showed green emission because of the charge transfer at single occupied oxygen vacancies with ZnO holes and red emission due to the cerium ion transitions. Intensity and fine structure of the Ce³⁺ luminescence and its temperature dependence are strongly influenced by the doping conditions. The formation of ZnO:Ce³⁺ nanophosphors was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and XRD spectra.     

Optical properties of ZnO and ZnO:In nanorods assembled by sol-gel method

Self-assembled zinc oxide (ZnO) and indium-doping zinc oxide (ZnO:In) nanorod thin films were synthesized on quartz substrates without catalyst in aqueous solution by sol-gel method. The samples were characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), Raman-scattering spectroscopy, room-temperature photoluminescence (PL) spectra, and temperature-dependent PL spectra measurements. XRD and Raman spectra illustrated that there were no single In2O3 phase in ZnO lattice after indium doping. The PL spectra of ZnO showed a strong UV emission band located at 394 nm and a very weak visible emission associated with deep-level defects. Indium incorporation induced the shift of optical band gap, quenching of the near-band-edge photoluminescence and enhanced LO mode multiphonon resonant Raman scattering in ZnO crystals at different temperatures. Abnormal temperature dependence of UV emission integrated intensity of ZnO and ZnO:In samples is observed. The local state emission peak of ZnO:In samples at 3.37 eV is observed in low-temperature PL spectra. The near-band-edge emission peak at room temperature was a mixture of excitons and impurity-related transitions for both of two samples.     

Intrinsic ferromagnetic properties in Cr-doped ZnO diluted magnetic semiconductors

The Cr-doped zinc oxide (Zn_1−xCr_xO, 0≤x≤0.08) diluted magnetic semiconductors have been synthesized successfully by the sol-gel method. Investigations on magnetic, optical and structural properties of the produced samples have been done. Energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) shows the existence of Cr ion in the Cr-doped ZnO. The results of X-ray diffraction (XRD), the transmission electron microscope (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) indicate that the Cr ions are at least partially substitutionally incorporated into the crystal lattice of ZnO. The produced samples show good high-T_c (Curie temperature) ferromagnetism (FM) in Cr-doped ZnO nanoparticles with Cr concentration of less than 5 at%. The results of photoluminescence (PL) further testify that FM is an intrinsic property of the Cr-doped ZnO nanoparticles. And the occurrence of FM should mainly contribute to the Cr doping.     

Room temperature electrodeposition of photoactive Cd(OH)2 nanowires

Cd(OH)₂ nanowires (NWs) were successfully prepared by room temperature electrogeneration of base using Cd(NO₃)₂ aqueous electrolyte and Anodic Alumina Membrane (AAM) as template. Cd(OH)₂ films have been also deposited on tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) for comparison. SEM analysis shows high quality deposits made of closely packed nanowires (NWs) into AAM and uniform flake-like surface on ITO. XRD analysis reveals that Cd(OH)₂ films on ITO are polycrystalline, while the nanowires grow along the preferential directions [1 0 0] and [1 1 0]. Photoelectrochemical measurements show that Cd(OH)₂ NWs are photoactive materials with indirect and direct band gap of 2.15 and 2.75 eV, respectively.     

Ethylene glycol-assisted electrochemical synthesis of CaMoO4 crystallites with different morphology and their luminescent properties

CaMoO₄ crystallites with different morphology were successfully prepared by an electrochemical method with the assistance of ethylene glycol (EG) for the first time. The as-prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and photoluminescent spectra techniques (PL), respectively. The results showed that the crystallization of CaMoO₄ relies on both applied electric current intensity and EG content in the electrolytic solution. With the increase of EG content, CaMoO₄ crystallite sizes decreased, and their morphology gradually changed from a cake-like shape into micro-rods with a higher aspect ratio. Moreover, the higher the applied electric current intensity, the more obvious the above effect was. All samples exhibit a green emission centered at 512 nm with 280 nm excitation wavelength at room temperature, but show different PL intensity.     

均匀沉淀法制备氧化锌纳米棒

采用均匀沉淀法制备了氧化锌纳米棒,用XRD,TEM,PL等检测手段对样品进行了表征.结果表明:所得样品为长约100 nm,宽约30 nm的纤锌矿结构氧化锌纳米棒,颗粒分布均匀.其在可见光区比紫外区的荧光发射显著增强.     

Low-temperature chemical bath deposition of crystalline ZnO

ZnO crystals can be grown from alkaline aqueous solution not only by the standard hydrothermal technique at temperatures between 350 °C and 400 °C, but also by chemical bath deposition (CBD) at temperatures below 100 °C. In the presence of ZnO and ScAlMgO₄ (SCAM) substrates almost all ZnO deposits on the substrate, with different habits, however. Under optimized conditions even homoepitaxial layers can be obtained, while rod-like structures are obtained on SCAM substrates. The chemistry and the driving forces behind the two processes are considered in detail and the temperature dependence of the solution composition has been calculated. The driving force for the ZnO crystal growth in the standard hydrothermal technique is the difference in the ZnO solubility in alkaline solutions at different temperatures. In contrast, the driving force for the chemical bath deposition of ZnO at low temperatures is the decay of zinc ion complex molecules with increasing temperature.     

Synthesis of a PEBAX-1074/ZnO nanocomposite membrane with improved CO_2 separation performance

In this investigation, polymeric nanocomposite membranes(PNMs) were prepared via incorporating zinc oxide(ZnO) into poly(ether-block-amide)(PEBAX-1074) polymer matrix with different loadings. The neat membrane and nanocomposite membranes were prepared via solution casting and solution blending methods, respectively. The fabricated membranes were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy(FESEM) to survey cross-sectional morphologies and thermal gravimetric analysis(TGA)to study thermal stability. Fourier transform infrared(FT-IR) and X-ray diffraction(XRD) analyses were also employed to identify variations of the chemical bonds and crystal structure of the membranes, respectively. Permeation of pure gases, CO_2, CH_4 and N_2 through the prepared neat and nanocomposite membranes was studied at pressures of 3–18 bar and temperature of 25 °C. The obtained results showed that the fabricated nanocomposite membranes exhibit better separation performance compared to the neat PEBAX membrane in terms of both permeability and selectivity. As an example, at temperature of 25 °C and pressure of 3 bar, CO_2 permeability, ideal CO_2/CH_4 and CO_2/N_2 selectivity values for the neat PEBAX membrane are 110.67 Barrer, 11.09 and 50.08, respectively, while those values are 152.27 Barrer,13.52 and 62.15 for PEBAX/ZnO nanocomposite membrane containing 8 wt% ZnO.     

A low-temperature synthesis of ultraviolet-light-emitting ZnO nanotubes and tubular whiskers

We have successfully synthesized single-crystal ZnO nanotubes and tubular whiskers by employing Zn(NO₃)₂·6H₂O, NH₃·H₂O as the starting materials in the presence of polyethylene glycol (PEG, M_w=2000) at ambient pressure and low temperature (70 °C). Characterizations are carried out by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM, HRTEM) and photoluminescence (PL) measurement. The results show that the as-prepared ZnO are tubular textures, which have average cross-sectional dimensions of 200-300 nm, lengths of 2-3.5 μm, and wall thickness of 80 nm. These tubular products demonstrate a sharp ultraviolet excitonic emission peak centered at 385 nm at room temperature. A possible growth mechanism and the influence of the reaction temperature on the formation of crystalline ZnO are presented.     

MnO2 multilayer nanosheet clusters evolved from monolayer nanosheets and their predominant electrochemical properties

MnO₂ multilayer nanosheet clusters were prepared via electrochemical deposition route, which shows simpleness and high efficiency. The growth process of MnO₂ multilayer nanosheet clusters was investigated in this paper. The deposited MnO₂ films were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, and XPS. In addition, it was also electrochemically characterized by cyclic voltammetry in 1.0 M Na₂SO₄ electrolyte. The MnO₂ multilayer nanosheet clusters show a big specific capacitance, and it can be achieved about 521.5 F g^?1 at 5 mV s^?1. These materials also have a high electrochemical stability.     

Investigation of structural and thermal characteristics of PVDF/ZnO nanocomposites

The structural and thermal behavior of PVDF/ZnO nanocomposites have been investigated by employing scanning electron microscopy (SEM),TEM, DSC, powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermally stimulated discharge current (TSDC), and transient current techniques. SEM/TEM observation indicated the homogeneous dispersion of functionalized ZnO nanoparticles throughout PVDF matrix. DSC shows that the crystallinity is influenced by the presence of ZnO nanoparticles in the PVDF matrix because the filler acts as efficient nucleating agent to facilitate PVDF crystallization. DSC results indicated the enhancement of the glass transition temperature (T _g), melting temperature (T _m) and crystallization temperature (T _c) of nanocomposites compared to pristine PVDF. XRD shows that the full-width at half maximum decreases with increasing ZnO content, which is attributed to the improvement in crystallinity. The incorporation of ZnO nanoparticles influences the modification of polarization process in PVDF as observed by means of TSDC and transient current study.     

Selective electrodeposition of ZnO onto Cu2O

The co-deposition of cuprous oxide (Cu₂O) and zinc oxide (ZnO) on indium tin oxide (ITO) substrate was executed by two different electrochemical methods and the formation mechanism of ZnO onto Cu₂O was investigated by ex-situ SEM, XRD, and XPS. The single galvanostatic electrodeposition step in a mixed nitrate electrolyte offered a useful method in preparing ZnO onto triangular Cu₂O islands formed. On the other hand, hexagonal shaped ZnO phase was electrodeposited on ITO substrate as well as on Cu₂O islands when two steps of the galvanostatic and potentiostatic process were applied.