Synthesis and Characterization of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles via Self-Combustion Technique

Abstract

Zinc oxide (ZnO) is a unique material which has been used in many researches. However synthesizing nanosize ZnO remains a challenge. This deal with the preparation of ZnO nanoparticles was synthesized by a self-combustion technique. In the self-combustion technique, nanoparticles was obtained by heating the materials until the mixture combusts at 110°C. ZnO nanoparticles were synthesized from Zn (NO3)2.6H2O precursor observed in two different solvent. The first set of experiment involved dissolving Zn (NO3)2.6H2O in nitric acid (HNO3) and adding ZnO, whereas for the second Ethylene Glycol (C2H6O2) was used as the solvent. The material was stirred at 250 r.p.m continuously for 1 month and 3 days. The mixture was then heated up until it combusted at 110°C. Samples were then annealed at 400°C for 1 hour . The ZnO samples were characterized using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Raman Spectroscopy, and Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM). The XRD analysis showed major peak at 20-30 of 2 theta scale with [10, [00, and [10 plane of the wurtzite hexagonal structure for both sets of ZnO samples. Samples were observed at raman shift for 138 and 439 cm-1 and 141 and 443 cm-1 before and after annealing. Synthesized ZnO 1 resulted the morphology of single crystal nanorods with average dimensions of 18 nm wide and 154 nm long. ZnO 2 has obtained the morphology of single crystal nanosphere with average diameter of 30 nm.Keywords: Zinc Oxide, Ethylene Glycol, Self-Combustion Technique