Study on Sequential Secondary Nucleation Growth of ZnO Nanoellipsoids via Nanorods using Template-Free Solution Based Low Temperature Method

Abstract

Herein, Zinc Oxide (ZnO) Nanoellipsoids (ELs) were grown on a paper substrate using template-free solution based low temperature method. The evolution of as per grown ZnO ELs was recorded at different intervals of time using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Furthermore, the structural and optical properties were investigated by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED), X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and photoluminescence (PL). As results of this study, it is presumed that the morphology of an individual ZnO EL may be composed of numerous numbers of ZnO nanorods with hexagonal structure elongated along the c-axis direction. Every individual NR underwent an evolution process at the middle of NR which served as a secondary nucleation site for the growth of more NRs and gradually with respect to time an ellipsoidal architecture is formed. Overall, it was found that the formation of ellipsoids is constituted from an integrated assembly of the nanowires and ZnO NRs provided secondary nucleation sites for the formation process.