Abstract
A low-cost and catalyst-free two-step approach has been developed to produce ZnO nanotubes(ZNTs) by simple thermal oxidation of Zn nanowires under 20 Pa at a low temperature of400 °C. The growth mechanism of ZNTs is discussed in detail. The formation of these tubularstructures is closely linked to the oxidation pressure and temperature, which involves aprocess consisting of the deposition of Zn nanowires, cracking of the Zn nanowires andsublimation of the Zn cores, and subsequent oxidation to ZNTs. The optical propertieswere studied by using Raman and photoluminescence spectra, where a strong greenemission related to the single ionized oxygen vacancy appears. The photocatalyticactivity measurement indicates an enhanced photocatalytic activity of the preparedZNTs due to their high surface-to-volume ratios and abundant oxygen vacanciesnear the surfaces of the ZNTs. This type of high surface area structural ZNTscould find promising potential for optoelectronic and environmental applications.
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