Abstract
In this paper, we demonstrate a novel and direct synthesis of hexagonal-shaped zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods at very low temperature of ~ 80oC simply by using metallic zinc foil and de-ionized (DI) water with few drops of ethanol. The formation of ZnO structures by the reaction of metals with DI water is suggested to occur due to the oxidation of metallic zinc in presence of water. The synthesized ZnO products were characterized in terms of their structural and optical properties. By the morphological investigations using FESEM, it was observed that the grown products are hexagonal-shaped ZnO nanorods with the diameters in the range of 50-60 nm and length with ~ 1 micrometer. The EDS and XRD pattern confirmed the composition and crystallinity of the grown nanorods and revealed that the grown products are pure ZnO with the wurtzite hexagonal phase.
Highlights
Zinc oxide is rapidly gaining credibility as a material with excellent possibilities for electronic and photonic devices
We demonstrate a novel and direct synthesis of hexagonal-shaped zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods at very low temperature of ~ 80oC by using metallic zinc foil and de-ionized (DI) water with few drops of ethanol
The general morphologies of the as-grown structures, obtained after the reaction of zinc foil with water at 80oC for 24h, was observed by field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) and demonstrated in Figure 1 which confirms that the grown products are hexagonal nanorod shaped
Summary
Zinc oxide is rapidly gaining credibility as a material with excellent possibilities for electronic and photonic devices. It exhibits a wide band gap (3.37 eV), large excitation binding energy (60 meV), biocompatibility, and high melting temperature (2248K), presenting itself a promising material for wide range of well known technological applications which are well documented [1,2,3,4]. The demonstration of room temperature ultraviolet lasers, field effect transistors and field emission arrays based on ZnO nanorods have stimulated great interest in developing functional nanodevices. The wide range of morphological diversity in the nano-regime has made this material a promising candidate in the field of nanotechnology and opened up new possibilities for the fabrication of high performance devices based on these nanostructures [6]. One dimensional (1D) nanostructures have received considerable attention due to their potential interests for understanding fundamental physical concepts and for efficient field emission that has enormous commercial applications such as field emission flat panel displays, x-ray sources, parallel beam electron microscopy and vacuum microwave amplifiers [7]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
