Large-scale synthesis and the roles of growth conditions on the formation of Zn2GeO4 nanorods

Large-scale Zn₂GeO₄ nanorods with a length of about 10 μm have been synthesized via a facile hydrothermal process in the absence of any surfactant. The synthesized nanorods are single crystals with a rhombohedral phase. The dependence on the growth conditions, such as reaction temperature, reaction time, compactness and GeO₂ concentration, of the formation, morphologies and sizes of the Zn₂GeO₄ nanostructures has been investigated. Proper selection and combination of the growth conditions are the key aspects to control the formation, morphologies and sizes of the Zn₂GeO₄ nanostructures. The nucleation and crystalline growth mechanism are proposed to explain the formation and growth of Zn₂GeO₄ nanorods. The photoluminescence spectrum of the Zn₂GeO₄ nanorods exhibits three fluorescence emission peaks centered at 421, 488 and 529 nm when the excitation wavelength is 235 nm.