Effect of zinc precursor on the morphology and optical properties of ZnO nanostructures prepared by electrodeposition

Abstract

We studied the dependence of the morphology and optical properties of ZnO nanostructures prepared by electrodeposition under the same deposition conditions for three different zinc precursors: zinc nitrate, zinc chloride, and zinc acetate. A simple two electrode setup was deployed, with indium tin oxide (ITO) on glass as the working electrode and platinum foil as the counter electrode. The morphology and optical properties of the ZnO nanorods were studied using scanning electron microscopy and photoluminescence measurements. The dependence of the properties on the precursor used is discussed.