Nanosized hexagonal plateletlike ZnO for nanophosphor applications

Abstract

ZnO hexagonal plateletlike materials have been synthesized by reacting of hexamethylenetetramine in an aqueous solution of Zn2+ in the presence of sodium bis (2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate emulsions as a structure-directing agent. The authors used a variety of analytical techniques, such as scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and x-ray diffraction to show that this synthesis method yields ZnO nanocrystals with a well-defined morphology. By changing the synthesis conditions, crystal size could also be controlled, for example, both micron- and nanometer-sized crystals were fabricated. Photoluminescence measurements have been carried out at various temperatures under the excitation with a cw He–Cd laser and a pulsed Nd3+:YAG laser. At higher excitation energies, whispering gallery mode emission appears in the spectrum.