Well-integrated ZnO nanorod arrays on conductive textiles by electrochemical synthesis and their physical properties

Yeong Hwan Ko,Wook Park,Jae Su Yu,Myung Sub Kim

doi:10.1186/1556-276x-8-28

Abstract

We reported well-integrated zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorod arrays (NRAs) on conductive textiles (CTs) and their structural and optical properties. The integrated ZnO NRAs were synthesized by cathodic electrochemical deposition on the ZnO seed layer-coated CT substrate in ultrasonic bath. The ZnO NRAs were regularly and densely grown as well as vertically aligned on the overall surface of CT substrate, in comparison with the grown ZnO NRAs without ZnO seed layer or ultrasonication. Additionally, their morphologies and sizes can be efficiently controlled by changing the external cathodic voltage between the ZnO seed-coated CT substrate and the counter electrode. At an external cathodic voltage of −2 V, the photoluminescence property of ZnO NRAs was optimized with good crystallinity and high density.

Highlights

Aligned one-dimensional (1D) zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures, such as nanorod and nanowire arrays, have attracted much interest in various application fields including field-emission devices, lightemitting diodes, piezoelectric devices, dye-sensitized solar cells, chemical sensors, and photodetectors due to their superior structural and optical properties compared to the bulk structure [1,2,3,4,5,6,7]
After the conductive textiles (CTs) substrate was coated by the seed solution and dried thermally, a thin ZnO seed layer was formed, as can be seen in the SEM image of Figure 1
When the seed-coated CT substrate was immersed into the growth solution and supplied by electrons, the seed layer provided ZnO crystal nuclei sites which allowed for growing the ZnO nanorod arrays (NRAs) densely and vertically

Summary

Introduction

Aligned one-dimensional (1D) zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures, such as nanorod and nanowire arrays, have attracted much interest in various application fields including field-emission devices, lightemitting diodes, piezoelectric devices, dye-sensitized solar cells, chemical sensors, and photodetectors due to their superior structural and optical properties compared to the bulk structure [1,2,3,4,5,6,7]. Some vigorous attempts begin to be focused on the growth and deposition of the 1D ZnO nanostructures on various. The CTs can be a promising candidate as substrate for integrating the 1D ZnO nanostructures by employing the electrochemical deposition (ED) method. When electrons are supplied into the conductive surface in growth solution, ZnO nanorods can be readily synthesized and controlled at a low temperature by varying the external cathodic voltage [15,21]. The ED process with CT substrate can be a powerful and convenient fabrication method for preparing the vertically aligned 1D ZnO nanostructures on a conductive and flexible substrate. We synthesized and controlled the integrated ZnO nanorod arrays (NRAs) on nickel (Ni)-coated PET fiber CTs by ED method with different external cathodic voltages. For more regular and dense ZnO NRAs, the CTs were coated by the ZnO seed solution, and the samples were treated by ultrasonic agitation during ED process

Methods

Results

Conclusion