Surface functionalization of carbon nanofibers by sol-gel coating of zinc oxide

In this paper the functional carbon nanofibers were prepared by the carbonization of ZnO coated PAN nanofibers to expand the potential applications of carbon nanofibers. Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibers were obtained by electrospinning. The electrospun PAN nanofibers were then used as substrates for depositing the functional layer of zinc oxide (ZnO) on the PAN nanofiber surfaces by sol-gel technique. The effects of coating, pre-oxidation and carbonization on the surface morphology and structures of the nanofibers were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), respectively. The results of SEM showed a significant increase of the size of ZnO nanograins on the surface of nanofibers after the treatments of coating, pre-oxidation and carbonization. The observations by SEM also revealed that ZnO nanoclusters were firmly and clearly distributed on the surface of the carbon nanofibers. FTIR examination also confirmed the deposition of ZnO on the surface of carbon nanofibers. The XRD analysis indicated that the crystal structure of ZnO nanograins on the surface of carbon nanofibers.     

电纺ZnO纳米纤维电子传输层提高倒置PTB7∶PC70BM电池效率

研究利用静电纺丝制备的不同直径ZnO纳米纤维作为倒置结构有机太阳能电池的电子传输层对器件转化效率的影响。首先通过静电纺丝技术成功制备了半径在43～110 nm之间的ZnO纳米纤维,然后将ZnO纳米纤维作为电子传输层加入到倒置结构有机太阳能电池（ITO/ZnO∶ZnO nanofiber/PTB7∶PC₇₀BM/MoO₃/Al）。与平面结构的ZnO电子传输层相比,ZnO纳米纤维具有比表面积大等优点,增加了电子传输和抽取能力,提高了器件的光电转化效率。实验发现ZnO纳米纤维的直径越小,电池效率越大。当ZnO纳米纤维直径为(46±5)nm,接收时间为30 s时,作为电子传输层的电池效率提高了8%。     

Synthesis and optical properties of Co-doped ZnO nanofibers prepared by electrospinning

In this work, Co-doped ZnO nanofibers have been fabricated successfully by an electrospinning technique. The as-prepared nanofibers are characterized by themogravimetric analysis (TG), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectra and photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL). Results have showed that a wurtzite ZnO nanofibers were obtained and the PL spectrum showed a red-shift by 10 nm due to narrowing of the ZnO band gap (∼3.29 eV) as a result of Co doping. Meanwhile, Raman scattering spectra exhibited an unusual peak at 540 cm⁻¹.     

Co3O4-ZnO hierarchical nanostructures by electrospinning and hydrothermal methods

A new hierarchical nanostructure that consists of cobalt oxide (Co₃O₄) and zinc oxide (ZnO) was produced by the electrospinning process followed by a hydrothermal technique. First, electrospinning of a colloidal solution that consisted of zinc nanoparticles, cobalt acetate tetrahydrate and poly(vinyl alcohol) was performed to produce polymeric nanofibers embedding solid nanoparticles. Calcination of the obtained electrospun nanofiber mats in air at 600 °C for 1 h, produced Co₃O₄ nanofibers with rough surfaces containing ZnO nanoparticles (i.e., ZnO-doped Co₃O₄ nanofibers). The rough surfaced nanofibers, containing ZnO nanoparticles (ZnNPs), were then exploited as seeds to produce ZnO nanobranches using a specific hydrothermal technique. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were employed to characterize the as-spun nanofibers and the calcined product. X-ray powder diffractometery (XRD) analysis was used to study the chemical composition and the crystallographic structure.     

Synthesis and ethanol sensing properties of Al-doped ZnO nanofibers

Undoped and Al-doped ZnO nanofibers were synthesized via a simple electrospinning method, and then characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman scattering and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The ethanol sensing properties of the sensor based on the nanofibers were also investigated. The results show that the sensor fabricated from Al-doped ZnO nanofibers exhibits better gas sensing performance than that fabricated from the undoped ZnO nanofibers, and the gas sensing mechanism is discussed.     

Ti/TiO_2包覆ZnO:Tb纳米纤维的光学性质

用电纺丝方法制备了ZnO:Tb纳米纤维.用X-射线衍射、Raman光谱对其形貌做了表征.结果显示,ZnO:Tb纳米纤维为六方纤锌矿结构,Tb掺杂对ZnO的结晶性有影响.利用表面等离激元,通过对纳米纤维表面包覆金属Ti和TiO_2,比较了其光致发光谱,得到在325 nm激发下ZnO:Tb纳米纤维中稀土发光效率低的原因是ZnO和Tb之间不能进行有效的能量传递;包覆TiO_2后能提高稀土发光效率.     

热氧化法制备ZnO纳米晶体、纳米线

以高纯Zn块为源材料,通过热氧化法制备了纳米ZnO薄膜。在950℃的温度和一定的压力条件下,通过改变生长时间,分别制备了ZnO纳米晶体、纳米纤维和纳米线。应用扫描电镜观察发现,在恒温生长条件下,纳米ZnO具有定向生长的趋势。随生长时间的延长,纳米晶体定向生长为纳米纤维,最后生长为超长的纳米线。     

Patterned growth of ZnO nanofibers

A simple method is adopted to grow ZnO nanofibers laterally among the patterned seeds designed in advance on silicon substrate. The preparation of seed lattices is carried out by lithographing the metal zinc film evaporated on the substrate. A layer of aluminum is covered on the zinc layer to prevent the ZnO nanorods vertically growing on the top surface. After oxidation, the patterned ZnO/Al2O3 spots are formed at the sites for the horizontal growth of ZnO nanofibers by the vapor phase transportation （VPT） method using the zinc powders as source material.     

Synthesis of SnO2/ZnO composite nanofibers by electrospinning method and study of its ethanol sensing properties

In this paper, we report the synthesis of SnO₂/ZnO composite nanofibers via electrospinning method. Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/zinc acetate/stannous chloride nanofibers were electrospun using a solution containing PVA, zinc acetate and stannous chloride in distilled-water followed by calcination at 650 °C for 2 h, obtaining the related composite nanofibers. The nanofibers were characterized by simultaneous thermal analysis (STA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Ethanol sensing of the nanofibers showed a good and desirable sensing behavior such as high sensitivity, quick response and recovery times.     

Influence of CdO-doping on the photoluminescence properties of ZnO nanofibers: Effective visible light photocatalyst for waste water treatment

Among the various nanostructural morphologies, nanofibers have a distinct interest due to the long axial ratio which strongly modifies the photocatalytic activity. In this work, study of the effect of CdO-doping on the photoluminescence properties of ZnO nanofibers was carried out. Nanofibers composed of the two oxides (ZnO and CdO) were prepared using facile, effective, simple and high yield technique; electrospinning. Typically, a sol–gel consisting of poly(vinyl alcohol), cadmium acetate and zinc acetate was electrospun. Calcination of the produced nanofibers in air did not affect the nanofibrous morphology and led to produce ZnO/CdO alloy nanofibers. Interestingly, variation of Zn to Cd ratio in the original electrospun solution did not influence the morphology, so nanofibers having CdO of 39.4, 56.5 and 72.2 wt% could be prepared. Optical properties study indicated that addition of CdO to ZnO decreases the band gap and consequently the introduced nanofibers can be utilized as photocatalyst under a visible light radiation. Moreover, the results indicated that increasing the CdO content causes to increase the solid solubility. Accordingly, the low content CdO nanofibers (39.4 wt%) reveal two band gaps in the PL spectra. Consequently, these nanofibers have the best photocatalytic activity among the prepared samples; the methylene blue dye was completely eliminated within 4.5 h. However, full dye degradation was obtained at relatively longer times when the other formulations were utilized. Beside the simplicity and low cost aspects in the proposed preparation strategy, utilizing the solar radiation as activation energy to initiate the photoreactions might recommend the introduced nanofibers to be exploited as photocatalyts in the field of waste water treatment.     

Zinc oxide's hierarchical nanostructure and its photocatalytic properties

In this study, a new hierarchical nanostructure that consists of zinc oxide (ZnO) was produced by the electrospinning process followed by a hydrothermal technique. First, electrospinning of a colloidal solution that consisted of zinc nanoparticles, zinc acetate dihydrate and poly(vinyl alcohol) was performed to produce polymeric nanofibers embedding solid nanoparticles. Calcination of the obtained electrospun nanofiber mats in air at 500 °C for 90 min produced pure ZnO nanofibers with rough surfaces. The rough surface strongly enhanced outgrowing of ZnO nanobranches when a specific hydrothermal technique was used. Methylene blue dihydrate was used to check the photocatalytic ability of the produced nanostructures. The results indicated that the hierarchical nanostructure had a better performance than the other form.     

静电纺丝法制备TiO_2/ZnO复合纳米纤维

利用溶胶—凝胶的方法,将不同量的乙酸锌、钛酸丁酯溶剂及高分子材料混合搅拌,从而获得不同比例的前驱体溶液,然后经过静电纺丝及高温煅烧,获得一维TiO2/ZnO复合纳米纤维,通过扫描电子显微镜对其形貌进行观察,并用XRD确定其组分。     

Synthesis and characterization of ZnO nano/microfibers thin films by catalyst free solution route

Zinc oxide (ZnO) nano/microfibrous thin films were successfully synthesized by a catalyst free solution route on glass and Si substrates. X-ray diffraction study revealed the formation of ZnO nanofibers of hexagonal crystalline structure. The texture coefficient of different planes varied with annealing temperature and that of the (0 0 2) plane was the highest for films annealed at temperature 873 K. Scanning electron micrograph showed the well formation of ZnO nano/microfibers with an average diameter 500 nm and having an average aspect ratio 150. UV–Vis–NIR spectroscopic study for the films deposited on glass substrates showed the high transmittance in the visible and near-infrared region. It was also observed that the band gap energy decreased as the films were annealed at higher temperature. The band gap energies of nanostructured ZnO thin films were determined to be in the range 3.03–3.61 eV. The photoluminescence study showed an UV emission peak at 397 nm, a visible blue–green emission peak at 468 nm and a green emission peak at 495 nm. Field emission properties of nanofiber ZnO thin film showed considerably low turn-on field around 1.4 V/μm. The emission current was as high as 70 μA at the field of 3.6 V/μm.     

Growth of carbon nanofibers on aligned zinc oxide nanorods and their field emission properties

Carbon nanofibers were grown by electrodeposition technique onto aligned zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods deposited by hybrid wet chemical route on glass substrates. X-ray diffraction traces indicated very strong peak for reflections from (0 0 2) planes of ZnO. The Raman spectra were dominated by the presence of G band at about 1597 cm⁻¹ corresponding to the E_2g tangential stretching mode of an ordered graphitic structure with sp² hybridization and a D band at about 1350 cm⁻¹ originating from disordered carbon. Fourier transformed infrared studies indicated the presence of a distinct characteristic absorption peak at ∼511 cm⁻¹ for Zn-O stretching mode. Photoluminescence spectra indicated band edge luminescence of ZnO at ∼3.146 eV along with a low intensity peak at ∼0.877 eV arising out of carbon nanofibers. Field emission properties of these films and their dependence on the CNF coverage on ZnO nanorods are reported here. The average field enhancement factor as determined from the slope of the FN plot was found to vary between 1 × 10³ and 3 × 10³. Both the values of turn-on field and threshold field for CNF/ZnO were lower than pure ZnO nanorods.     

Effect of cobalt substitution on microstructure and magnetic properties in ZnO nanoparticles

Ferromagentic semiconductors have been actively pursued because of their potential as spin polarized carrier sources and easy integration into semiconductor technology. One such material, ZnO has been shown to be a potential Diluted Magnetic Semiconductor (DMS). The appearance of ferromagnetism, however, is found to be sensitive to the processing conditions. We report synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles of size ∼20 nm by a simple co-precipitation technique using metal nitrates and NaOH as precipitant. The particles are self-organised and reveal single crystalline behaviour in electron diffraction pattern. Incorporation of Co in ZnO matrix leads not only to the reduction in crystallite size but also to the modification of the structure. At 5% Co, the particles are highly textured. The particles also aggregate and the aggregated mass have nearly rectangular shape as seen through TEM. Increasing Co to 10%, results into further reduction of particle size and the particles self organize in a line, which looks like nanofibers. This alignment of particles increases by increasing the Co content further. This type of growth of nanofibers above Co ≥ 10% is well correlated with the anisotropic peak broadening observed in the XRD spectra. In addition, Co substitute Zn site up to 20% without showing any extra phase in XRD spectra as compared to 7 to 10% in case of bulk. Transport and magnetic studies indicate that conductivity increases with increasing Co content, but carrier mediated ferromagnetism is absent down to 10 K.      

ZnO可见区发光机理研究进展

近年来,科研工作者对ZnO纳米材料研究产生了浓厚的兴趣。ZnO是一种具有宽带隙(3.37 eV)和较大的激子束缚能(60 meV)的六方纤锌矿结构半导体材料。它具有优异的光电、压电、压敏及发光等特性,在发光(激光)二极管、传感器、发光器件、紫外探测器等领域都有非常好的应用前景。至今,有很多非常成熟的实验方法(包括静电纺丝、水热法、溶胶-水热法、化学气相沉积法、旋涂法及电化学沉积法等)用来合成ZnO纳米材料,如纳米线、纳米棒、纳米盘及量子点等。氧化锌纳米结构的制备和性质已得到了广泛的研究,ZnO的可见发光机理一直是研究的热点,但很少有人对可见光范围内的光致发光进行总结。光致发光光谱能反映一些重要信息,如表面缺陷和氧空位、半导体材料的表面状态、光诱导电荷转移过程等。有学者认为ZnO的发光机理与其晶体缺陷有关,还有研究者认为其发光机理与氧空位有关等。通过量子限域效应、带边调制、表面修饰方法、缺陷调控方法等方面综述了ZnO可见区发光机理。     

Poly(Butylene Terephthalate)/Single Wall Carbon Nanotubes Composite Nanofibers by Electrospinning

Poly(buthylene terephthalate)(PBT)/single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) composite nanofibers were prepared by electrospinning. The effect of carbon nanotubes on the morphology, crystallization, and mechanical properties of the electrospun composite nanofibers were investigated by SEM, DSC, and tensile testing, respectively. SEM observations indicated that the presence of SWCNTs resulted in finer nanofibers for lower loading; however, a broader distribution, especially for the higher diameter ranges was found for nanofibers with higher amounts of carbon nanotubes. SWCNTs accelerated crystallization and acted as a nucleating agent; the degree of crystallinity increased with increasing content of SWCNTs, followed by a moderate decrease at higher content. Specific tensile strength and modulus of the PBT/SWCNTs composite nanofibers mats were higher than that of neat PBT nanofibers mat. However, the elongation at break of composite nanofibers mats was lower than that of the neat PBT nanofibers mat.     

Toluene sensing properties of SnO2-ZnO hollow nanofibers fabricated from single capillary electrospinning

SnO₂-ZnO hollow nanofibers were fabricated through a facile single capillary electrospinning technology. The structure and toluene sensing properties of the hollow fibers were investigated. The results indicated that the fibers possess a hollow structure, a rough porous surface after being annealed at 600 °C and the diameters are in the range of 80-160 nm. A sensor fabricated from these fibers exhibits considerable sensitivity and good stability against toluene at 190 °C, which can be attributed to the special 1D hollow structure and the promoting effect of the SnO₂/ZnO heterojunction. The formation mechanism and toluene sensing mechanism of SnO₂-ZnO hollow nanofibers were also discussed.     

DRIFTS study of surface reactivity to NO2 by zinc nanoparticle aggregates and zinc hollow nanofibers

Zinc nanostructures synthesized with different morphologies from the same evaporation/condensation technique are studied with concern to surface reactivity to NO₂ by Diffuse Reflectance Infrared Fourier Transformed Spectroscopy (DRIFTS). Synthesis of nanopowders is obtained, according to previous work, by gas flow thermal evaporation at 540 °C of bulk Zn grains. Two types of Zn powders are obtained and studied in experiments. The first one is collected on the cold walls of the reactor as a deposit produced by thermophoretic effect. It is constituted by grains (∼10 μm) originated by the stratification of smaller aggregates (∼200 nm) and isolated primary particles (∼50 nm) born in the gas flow. The second type of powder is grown from the condensation of Zn chemical vapors within the expansion orifice of the quartz reactor after relatively long time (∼1 h) deposition process. It is constituted mainly by hollow Zn nanofibers with external and internal diameter about 100 and 60 nm. Preliminary characterization of the two types of powders is made by SEM, TEM, XRD. Thereafter, the two types of samples are studied by DRIFTS at variable temperature (VT). Comparison is made between the home-synthesized nanopowders with respect to commercial Zn standard dust. The Zn hollow nanofibers when exposed to NO₂ are found to exhibit dramatic reactivity, which is not observed at all either in the case of clustered aggregate zinc or of commercial Zn dust powders. Results indicate that, at increasing temperature from RT to 300 °C, the hollow nanofibers surface reacts distinctively with adsorbant gas NO₂, with contemporary formation of a progressively growing narrow absorption band at 2500 cm⁻¹ and contemporary depression of a doublet (∼1600-1628 cm⁻¹) band. In order to justify this striking spectral feature, we propose the occurring of a possible polymerization process at nanofibers surface where most probably as a consequence of pre-treatment and exposure to gas NO₂ a very thin film of ZnO is formed. The possible role of huge specific surface of hollow nanofibers as inferred by preliminary SEM, TEM, XRD studies is discussed.     

Sonochemically assisted synthesis and application of hollow spheres, hollow prism, and coralline-like ZnO nanophotocatalyst

Nanosheet-based microspheres of ZnO with hierarchical structures, hollow prism, and coralline-like ZnO nanostructures were successfully prepared by ultrasonic irradiation in acidic ionic liquids (AILs). The hollow spherical is made up of many thin petals, the thickness of which is only about 90 nm. In the presence of AIL2, the one prepared at a frequency of 40 kHz is a mixture of nanofibers with diameters ranging from less than 30 nm to about 100 nm. ZnO nanostructure (with AIL1) reveals lozenge-shape hollow prism structures. The products were hollow prism structure covered with some nanometric-size nanoparticles. The average size of the nanoparticles is in the range of 40?C80 nm. It is found that the ultrasonic irradiation time, ultrasonic frequency, and the AILs influence the growth mechanism and optical properties of ZnO nanostructures. Producing Zno nanostructures by different traditional methods (e.g., hydrothermal method) requires basic media. These methods are not economical and environmentally friendly in many industrial processes. In so doing, a critical problem has been the point that, normally, a high concentration of base causes reactor metal corrosion. This is a simple and low-cost method, which can be expected to be applied in industry in the future. Also, importantly, the structures synthesized in this experiment can indicate a new way to construct nanodevices by self-organization in one step.