Synthesis and characterization of self-assembled ZnO nanoarrays on hybrid structural fibers

Abstract

Hybrid carbon fibers with self-assembled and well-aligned zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoarrays can lead to novel structural materials that enable promising applications in multifunctional composites with beneficial properties including enhanced interlaminar mechanical properties and potential load sensing capabilities. In this paper, atomic layer deposition (ALD) and hydrothermal methods were integrated to synthesize ZnO nanoarrays in the shape of aligned nanowires and nanorods on carbon fiber fabrics. The surface morphology of ZnO nanoarrays were controlled by adjusting the reagent concentrations and hydrothermal reaction time. As-synthesized hybrid fibers were characterized to understand their critical properties including nanostructure morphology, crystal structures, ZnO weight concentration, and contact angle between water and ZnO nanoarrays. The results demonstrated that the ZnO nanostructures and morphology can be controlled and optimized for lightweight composite applications.