Optical and Structural Properties of 2D ZnO Nanosheets Synthesized Using Simple Chemical Solution Route

Abstract

In the present paper, two-dimensional (2D) Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanosheets were prepared through a simple, single-step chemical solution method followed by annealing treatment without any surfactant, template or catalyst. The prepared ZnO nanosheets were characterized for their structural and optical properties by different techniques such as XRD, SEM with EDS, RAMAN, FTIR, UV-Visible and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectra display sharp and highly intense peaks corresponding to the (101) plane, confirming the wurtzite crystal structure of ZnO. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images confirm the sheet-like structure of ZnO nanosheets with a thickness of approximately 23 nm. The elemental composition has been estimated through the Energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) technique. The basic reaction mechanism is discussed in detail. The stretching vibrations of Zn and O bonding were observed from FTIR spectra. The optical properties and optical bandgap have been obtained by UV-Visible and PL spectroscopy. The optical bandgap of ZnO is 3.20 eV from UV-Visible spectroscopy via Tauc’s plot. PL measurement confirming oxygen deficiency in ZnO nanosheets. These results of prepared ZnO nanosheets are expected to perform well in various applications such as photodetectors, sensors and in optoelectronic devices.