Solvothermal synthesis,photoluminescence and photocatalytic properties of pencil-like ZnO microrods

Pencil-like ZnO microrods was synthesized via a simple solvothermal process in an aqueous solution of ethylenediamine and ethanolamine. The as-prepared ZnO was characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, room temperature photoluminescence spectra and UV–vis absorption spectra. The results indicated that ZnO microrods had the length in the range of 1.3–25 μm. The photocatalytic activity was studied by degradation of methylene blue (MB) aqueous solution, which showed that the as-prepared ZnO microrods possessed a high photocatalytic activity. The formation mechanism of the pencil-like ZnO was also investigated based on the experimental results.     

Shuttle-like ZnO nano/microrods: Facile synthesis, optical characterization and high formaldehyde sensing properties

Shuttle-like ZnO nano/microrods were successfully synthesized via a low temperature (80 °C), “green” (without any organic solvent or surfactant) and simple hydrothermal process in the solution of zinc chloride and ammonia water. X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy indicated that the ZnO nano/microrods are a well-crystallized hexagonal wurtzite structure. Yet photoluminescence analysis showed that abundant intrinsic defects (52.97% electron donor defects and 45.49% electron acceptor defects) exist on the surface of ZnO crystals. Gas sensors based on the shuttle-like ZnO nano/microrods exhibited high sensitivity, rapid response-recovery and good selectivity to formaldehyde in the range of 10-1000 ppm at an optimum operating temperature of 400 °C. Through applying linear fitting to the plot of sensitivity versus formaldehyde concentration in logarithmic forms, the chemisorbed oxygen species on the ZnO surface were found to be O²⁻ (highly active among O₂, O₂⁻ and O⁻ species). Notably, formaldehyde can be easily distinguished from acetaldehyde with a selectivity of about 3. The high formaldehyde sensitivity is mainly attributed to the synergistic effect of abundant electron donor defects (52.97%) and highly active oxidants (surface adsorbed O²⁻ species) co-existed on the surfaces of ZnO.     

Synthesis and optical properties of pencil-like and shuttle-like ZnO microrods

The pencil-like and shuttle-like ZnO microrods have been fabricated on Si (100) substrates by chemical vapor deposition. Structure characterization results show that the microrods are perfect single crystals with the wurtzite structure along the [0001] growth direction and have diameters ranging from 100 nm to 2 μm and lengths up to 10 μm. Room-temperature photoluminescence measurements of ZnO microstructures exhibit an intensive ultraviolet peak at 390 nm and a broad peak centered at about 526 nm, which can be attributed to the free exciton emission and the deep level emission, respectively. Cathodoluminescence measurements show the same ultraviolet and green emissions as seen in the photoluminescence results. A possible growth mechanism of ZnO microrods is finally proposed.     

Sonochemical synthesis, photocatalytic activity and optical properties of silica coated ZnO nanoparticles

In this paper, we report the synthesis of silica coated ZnO nanoparticles by ultrasound irradiation of a mixture of dispersion of ZnO, tetraethoxysilane (TEOS), and ammonia in an ethanol-water solution medium. The silica coating layer formed at the initial TEOS/ZnO loading of 0.8 for 60 min ultrasonic irradiation was uniform and extended up to 3 nm from the ZnO surface as revealed from HR-TEM images. Silica coated ZnO nanoparticles demonstrated a significant inhibition of photocatalytic activity against photodegradation of methylene blue dye in aqueous solution. The effects of silica coating on the UV blocking property of ZnO nanoparticles were also studied.     

Synthesis of Pr-doped ZnO nanoparticles: Their structural,optical, and photocatalytic properties

Undoped and praseodymium-doped zinc oxide(Pr-doped ZnO)(with 2.0-mol%–6.0-mol% Pr) nanoparticles as sunlight-driven photocatalysts are synthesized by means of co-precipitation with nitrates followed by thermal annealing.The structure, morphology, and chemical bonding of the photocatalysts are studied by x-ray diffraction(XRD), scanning electron microscopy(SEM) with energy dispersive x-ray emission spectroscopy(EDS), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR), respectively. The optical properties are studied by photoluminescence(PL) and UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy(UV-vis DRS). We find that Pr doping does not change the crystallinity of ZnO; but it reduces the bandgap slightly, and restrains the recombination of the photogenerated electron–hole pairs. The photocatalytic performance of the photocatalysts is investigated by the photodegradation reaction of 10-mg/L rhodamine B(RhB) solution under simulated sunlight irradiation, showing a degradation rate of 93.75% in ZnO doped with6.0-mol% Pr.     

Structural, optical and magnetic properties of Cr doped ZnO microrods prepared by spray pyrolysis method

A series of Cr-doped ZnO micro-rod arrays were fabricated by a spray pyrolysis method. X-ray diffraction patterns of the samples showed that the undoped and Cr-doped ZnO microrods exhibit hexagonal crystal structure. Surface morphology analysis of the samples has revealed that pure ZnO sample has a hexagonal microrod morphology. From X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy studies, the Cr 2p3/2 binding energy is found to be 577.3 eV indicating that the electron binding energy of the Cr in ZnO is almost the same as the binding energy of Cr³⁺ states in Cr₂O₃. The optical band gap E_g decreases slightly from 3.26 to 3.15 eV with the increase of actual Cr molar fraction from x = 0.00 to 0.046 in ZnO. Photoluminescence studies at 10 K show that the incorporation of chromium leads to a relative increase of deep level band intensity. It was also observed that Cr doped samples clearly showed ferromagnetic behavior; however, 2.5 at.% Cr doped ZnO showed remnant magnetization higher than that of 1.1 at.% and 4.6 at.% Cr doped samples, while 4.6 at.% Cr doped ZnO samples had a coercive field higher than the other dopings.     

Facile,high yield ultrasound mediated protocol for ZnO hierarchical structures synthesis: Formation mechanism,optical and photocatalytic properties

Hierarchical flowers-like zinc oxide structures have been successfully obtained by a simple and fast ultrasound-assisted method performed in a ordinary ultrasonic bath using an ammonia solution and zinc acetate, in the absence of any surfactant or template. The composition, structure, crystallinity, morphology and optical properties of the materials obtained at different ultrasound irradiation times were characterized by infrared, UV–Vis and photoluminescence spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning and transmission electron microscopy investigations. It was proved that the ultrasound irradiation time manipulates both the defect content (implicit the photoluminescent properties) and morphology of the ZnO materials: shorter irradiation times leads to the synthesis of high-defected ZnO structures of flower morphology with triangular-shaped petals, while higher irradiation times favours the formation of low-defected ZnO structures with tipped rod-like petals. A plausible growth mechanism of the architectures that implies aggregation via oriented attachment followed by an Ostwald ripening is advanced based on these results. The ZnO flower-like structures present high photocatalytic activities, a total phenol mineralization being registered in the case of visible light experiments. Electron-spin resonance measurements demonstrate the generation of reactive oxygen species, namely hydroxyl radicals but also C centred radicals adducts derived most probable from the residual acetate adsorbed on ZnO surface.     

制备一维可控形貌的ZnO微米棒

用化学溶液法以醋酸锌和六亚甲基四胺为原料在玻璃衬底上生长出不同形貌的亚微米和微米ZnO棒。探讨了反应液的酸碱度和反应液浓度对生成的ZnO棒形貌的影响，并分析了其生长机制。通过控制一定的酸碱度和溶液浓度，可以得到规则的六角ZnO棒状阵列。这种规则的六角棒沿着[002]方向生长。测量了样品的XRD，扫描电镜像(SEM)，并对其发光性能进行了测量分析。其中规则六角ZnO棒的光致发光光谱中有一很强的峰值650nm红色宽谱带和一峰值约387nm的激子发光峰。激子发光峰加宽，实际上是自由激子的发光峰(380nm)和Zni的发光峰(430nm)的叠加。而红色发光峰可能是Vo2+中的电子和价带中的空穴辐射复合所致。     

ZnO micro- and nano-structures: microwave-assisted solvothermal synthesis,morphology control and photocatalytic properties

ZnO with various morphologies have been prepared by a simple microwave-assisted solvothermal method in a short period of time. In this synthetic method, Zn(CH₃COO)₂⋅2H₂O is used as the reactant, a mixture of water and ethylene glycol is used as solvents, and no other additives are used. The morphology of the prepared samples can be controlled by changing the mixing ratio of ethylene glycol to water. The photocatalytic activities of the prepared samples are also investigated.     

Structural and optical properties of ZnO and Al-doped ZnO microrods obtained by spray pyrolysis method using different solvents

ZnO and Al-doped ZnO microrods were obtained by spray pyrolysis method using different solvents such as methanol and propanol. The effect of the type of solvent in the starting solution on the structural, morphological and optical properties of the samples was investigated. X-ray diffraction patterns showed that the undoped and Al-doped ZnO microrods exhibited hexagonal crystal structure with a preferred orientation along (0 0 2) direction. Surface morphology of the samples obtained by scanning electron microscopy revealed that undoped and Al-doped ZnO microrods grew as quasi-aligned hexagonal shaped microrods with diameters varying between 0.7 and 1.3 μm irrespective of solvents used. Optical studies indicated that microrods had a low transmittance (≅30%) and the band gap increased from 3.24 to 3.26 eV upon Al doping. Photoluminescence measurements indicated the existence of two emission bands in the spectra: one sharp ultraviolet luminescence at ∼383 nm and one broad visible emission ranging from 420 to 580 nm.     

Photoluminescence and field emission properties of Sn-doped ZnO microrods

Sn-doped ZnO (SZO) microrods have been fabricated by a thermal evaporation method. Effect of Sn dopant on the microstructure, morphological and composition of as-prepared SZO microrods have been investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy. The influence of the doping concentration on the morphological of the microrods has been investigated. Photoluminescence (PL) of these SZO microrods exhibits a weak ultraviolet (UV) emission peak at around 382 nm and the strong green emission peak at around 525 nm at room temperature. Field emission measurements demonstrate that the SZO possess good performance with a turn-on field of ∼1.94 V/μm and a threshold field of ∼3.23 V/μm, which have promising application as a competitive cathode material in FE microelectronic devices.     

Sonochemical synthesis and optical properties of amorphous ZnO nanowires

Large-scale amorphous wire-like ZnO nanostructures were prepared by ultrasonic spray pyrolysis Zn(CO)₅ without involvement of any template or patterned catalyst. The as-obtained amorphous ZnO nanowires were characterized using scanning/transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction/photoelectron spectroscopy, energy-dispersed X-ray spectrometry, selected area electronic diffraction, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The results reveal the as-made noncrystalline samples are about 30–60 nm in diameter and several tens of microns in length and the growth mechanism is tentatively proposed as the self-assembly soft template mechanism. The photoluminescence spectra in all of the as-studied specimens exhibit one wide visible emission peak in about 508 nm. The corresponding PL intensity greatly increased with an annealing temperature, which has an application for a high efficiency vacuum fluorescent displays and a low-voltage phosphor.     

Large-scale synthesis of ZnO microhollowspheres and their optical properties

ZnO microhollowspheres (MHs) were synthesized by evaporation of a mixture of zinc, graphite, and zinc oxide powders. The microstructures of the resultant MHs have been characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), selected-area electron diffraction (SAED), X-ray diffraction, and photoluminescence (PL). The PL results indicated that the green emission peak at 510 nm of the MHs was higher and broader than that of the nanocombs, which was due to oxygen vacancies formed in the MHs. In addition, the mechanism of ZnO MHs was discussed in detail.     

Template-free hydrothermal synthesis of ZnO microrods for gas sensor application

Zinc oxide microrods with controlled diameter were prepared without the addition of template and additive by a simple hydrothermal route only using Zn(CH₃COO)₂·2H₂O as a precursor. The products were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and electron diffraction (ED). The crystal structure of prepared ZnO microrods is hexagonal phase polycrystalline with zincite structure. With the increase of the precursor concentration from 0.05 M to 0.6 M, the diameter of the ZnO microrods increased from 1 μm to 5 μm. A localized oriented attachment mechanism was prepared to account for the formation of ZnO microrods. The gas-sensing performance experiments indicated that the prepared ZnO microrods exhibited highly sensitive, selective gas-sensing properties, and good stability to acetone vapor. The response and recovery time of ZnO-based gas sensor to 100 ppm acetone vapor are 12 s and 18 s, respectively. The mechanism of the ZnO-based sensor was investigated.     

碳掺杂ZnO的电子结构和光学性质

采用基于密度泛函理论框架下的第一性原理计算研究碳掺杂ZnO的电子结构和光学性质.计算结果表明：C原子替代O原子和C原子替代Zn原子两种掺杂体系的电子结构存在明显差异,这主要是由于C原子的电子分布及对周围原子的影响不同;碳掺杂ZnO光学性质的变化集中在低能量区,而高能量区的光学性质没有明显变化.结合电子结构定性解释了光学性质的变化. 关键词： ZnO 碳掺杂 电子结构 光学性质     

The crystalline structure,conductivity and optical properties of Co-doped ZnO thin films

Transparent conductive Co-doped ZnO thin films were deposited by ultrasonic spray technique. Conditions of preparation have been optimized to get good quality. A set of cobalt (Co)-doped ZnO (between 0 and 3 wt%) thin films were grown on glass substrate at 350 °C. The thin films were annealed at 500 °C for improvement of the physical properties. Nanocrystalline films with hexagonal wurtzite structure and a strong (0 0 2) preferred orientation were obtained. The maximum value of grain size G = 63.99 nm is attained with undoped ZnO film. The optical transmissions spectra showed that both the undoped and doped ZnO films have transparency within the visible wavelength region. The band gap energy decreased after doping from 3.367 to 3.319 eV when Co concentration increased from 0 to 2 wt% with slight increase of electrical conductivity of the films from 7.71 to 8.33 (Ω cm)⁻¹. The best estimated structure, optical and electrical results are achieved in Co-doped ZnO film with 2 wt%.     

Controllable synthesis and shape-dependent photocatalytic activity of ZnO nanorods with a cone and different aspect ratios and of short-and-fat ZnO microrods by varying the reaction temperature and time

ZnO nanorods with a cone and different aspect ratios and short-and-fat ZnO microrods were synthesized via a hydrothermal reaction of Zn with Zn(CH₃COO)₂ and H₂O. The control over these ZnO nanocrystals with a wurtzite structure and different shapes was achieved by adjusting only the reaction temperature and time. A possible kinetic mechanism was proposed to account for the growth of these ZnO nanocrystals with different shapes. Photocatalytic activities of ZnO nanocrystals with distinctive shapes in the degradation of methyl orange were investigated. The results indicate that the photocatalytic ability of the ZnO nanorods with a cone and different aspect ratios is stronger than that of the short-and-fat microrods.     

Structural and optical properties of ZnO nanopowder prepared by microwave-assisted synthesis

We report the characterization of nano-size zinc oxide (ZnO) powder synthesized via microwave-assisted heating of Zn(CH₃COO)₂·2H₂O and NaHCO₃ solution with deionized water (DI water) as the solvent. The as-synthesized ZnO powder was calcined at temperatures from 400 to 800 °C for 8 h. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) spectra revealed pure wurtzite structure for the ZnO nanopowder (NP) calcined at 800 °C. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images showed increasing size ZnO NP with uniform size distribution with increase in calcination temperature. Significant UV emission at about 373 nm has been observed in the photoluminescence (PL) spectra of the as-synthesized and calcined ZnO NP. Our results showed enhanced PL intensity with a reduced full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) for ZnO NP synthesized at higher calcination temperature.     

Electronic structure and optical properties of substitutional and interstitial phosphor-doped ZnO

Using first-principles method, electronic structure and optical properties of phosphorus-doped ZnO for the possible substitutional (P_Zn, P_O) and interstitial (P_tet, P_oct) doping are investigated. P_O gives p-type conductivity, but others show n-type. P_O and P_tet has a significant difference in optical properties due to the contribution of P 3p states at Fermi level.