Controlled Synthesis of Sea-urchin-like ZnO Nanomaterials with the Aid of Ethylene Glycol Using a Solvothermal Method

Sea-urchin-like ZnO nanomaterials were successfully synthesized by decomposition of zinc acetate precursor in the presence of sodium hydroxide and ethylene glycol(EG)in an ethanol solution using a solvothermal method at 180℃ for 12h.The crystalline phase and morphology of the resultant nanomaterials were characterized by X-ray diffraction(XRD),scanning electron microscopy(SEM),transmission electron microscopy(TEM),selected-area electronic diffraction(SAED)and high-resolution electron microscopy(HRTEM).Interestingly,the sizes and prod length of the samples can be easily tuned by changing the amount of directing agent EG and keeping other reaction conditions unchangeable.On the basis of our experimental outcomes,EG-controlled-nucleation-growth formation mechanism was proposed to correspond for the sea-urchin-like ZnO growth processes.And the photoluminescence(PL)spectra of the as-selected samples were measured at room temperature,presenting two emission peaks centered at～388 and 480 nm.