Abstract
ZnO nanorods have been grown on the surface of foamed nickel by a two-step method. Firstly, a layer of ZnO seed is sputtered on the surface of the foamed nickel by magnetron sputtering, and then the hydrothermal method is used to grow ZnO nanorods at different conditions (solution concentration, reaction time and reaction temperature). The results show that the morphology of ZnO nanorods is closely related to the solution concentration, reaction time, and reaction temperature. The energy band structure formed by the foamed nickel and ZnO seed layers and the growth mechanism of ZnO nanorods are discussed. The samples are characterized by Energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Raman spectroscopy. The absorption characteristics of samples to light are characterized by ultraviolet-to-visible (UV–VIS) absorption. The hydrophilicity of the samples is characterized by the static contact angle. By analyzing the performance characteristics of the samples at different conditions, we finally obtained the optimal growth parameters. At the optimal parameters, the morphology of the grown nanorods is regular, the ultraviolet band has strong absorption, and the surface of the samples forms a superhydrophobic surface.
Highlights
Foam metal refers to porous metal materials with a porosity of more than 90% and a certain strength and rigidity
We explored the surface element distribution, morphology and composition of ZnO nanorods by energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD)
The substrate was first placed in a hydrochloric acid (HCl) solution and ultrasonically cleaned for 20 min with the aim of removing inorganic ions and oxidizing substances from the surface
Summary
Foam metal refers to porous metal materials with a porosity of more than 90% and a certain strength and rigidity. Law [36] et al successfully prepared ZnO nanomaterials and studied the application in dye-sensitized solar cells, and found that the solar energy conversion efficiency reached 1.5%. At the same time, based on the piezoelectric effect of ZnO, Wang [37] et al successfully prepared the ZnO nanowire array engine, which is the world’s smallest nano-generator, and its power generation efficiency can reach about 20%. With such a generator, mechanical energy can be converted into electrical energy at the nanometer scale [38,39]. The hydrothermal method has mild reaction conditions and can prepare large-area samples without the generation of pollutants, so it is widely used [57]
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