Direct growth of CdSe nanorods on ITO substrates by co-anchoring of ZnO nanoparticles and ethylenediamine

Abstract

To grow CdSe nanorods directly onto indium tin oxide (ITO) substrates, a ZnO buffer layer composed of nanoparticles with diameter of ~30–40 nm was prepared by spin coating ZnO sol–gel solution onto the ITO substrates. CdSe nanorods were then successfully in situ grown onto ITO substrates with diameter of ~30–40 nm and length of ~120–160 nm using solvothermal method in which CdSe·0.5en (en = ethylenediamine) acted as solution precursor. The in situ synthesized CdSe nanorods were conformed and characterized by atomic force microscope and electron microscopy. The mechanism of such in situ CdSe growth was understood as ZnO nanoparticles anchored en onto ITO substrates, while en linked CdSe with ZnO.