Abstract
This paper reports the synthesis and optical properties of nanocrystalline ZnO powders with crystallite sizes of 32.5 (±1.4)–43.4 (±0.4) nm prepared by a direct thermal decomposition of zinc acetate at the temperatures of 400, 500, 600, and 700°C for 4 h. The structure of the prepared samples was studied by XRD and FTIR spectroscopy, confirming the formation of wurtzite structure. The morphology of the samples revealed by SEM was affected by the thermal decomposition temperature, causing the formations of both nanoparticles and nanorods with different size and shape in the samples. The synthesized powders exhibited the UV absorption below 400 nm (3.10 eV) with a well defined absorption peak at around 285 nm (4.35 eV). The estimated direct bandgaps were obtained to be 3.19, 3.16, 3.14, and 3.13 eV for the ZnO samples thermally decomposed at 400, 500, 600, and 700°C, respectively. All the samples exhibited room-temperature photoluminescence (PL) showing a strong UV emission band at ∼395 nm (3.14 eV), a weak blue band at ∼420 nm (2.95 eV), a blue–green band at ∼485 nm (2.56 eV), and a very weak green band at ∼529 nm (2.35 eV). The mechanisms responsible for photoluminescence of the samples are discussed.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
H.W. Lehman, R. Widmer, J. Appl. Phys. 44, 3868 (1973)
S. Liang, H. Sheng, Y. Liu, Z. Hio, Y. Lu, H. Shen, J. Cryst. Growth 225, 110 (2001)
N. Saito, H. Haneda, T. Sekiguchi, N. Ohashi, I. Sakagushi, K. Koumoto, Adv. Mater. 14, 418 (2002)
E. Olsson, G. Dunlop, J. Am. Ceram. Soc. 76, 65 (1993)
Z.L. Wang, J.H. Song, Science 312, 242 (2006)
K.M. Krishnan, A.B. Pakhomov, Y. Bao, P. Blomqvist, Y. Chun, M. Gonzales, K. Griffin, X. Ji, B.K. Roberts, J. Mater. Sci. 41, 793 (2006)
V.R. Palkar, Nanostruct. Mater. 11, 369 (1999)
Y.X. Li, K.J. Klabunde, Chem. Mater. 4, 611 (1992)
H.K. Park, D.K. Kim, C.H. Kim, J. Am. Ceram. Soc. 80, 743 (1997)
T.T. Kodas, Adv. Mater. 6, 180 (1989)
B.P. Zhang, N.T. Binh, K. Wakatsuki, Y. Segawa, Y. Yamada, N. Usami, M. Kawasaki, H. Koinuma, J. Phys. Chem. B 108, 10899 (2004)
G.Z. Shen, Y. Bando, Ch.J. Lee, J. Phys. Chem. B 109, 10578 (2005)
S.I. Hirano, Ceram. Bull. 66, 1342 (1987)
H. Zhang, D.R. Yang, D.S. Li, X.Y. Ma, S.Z. Li, D.L. Que, Cryst. Growth Des. 2, 547 (2005)
L. Shen, N. Bao, K. Yanagisawa, K. Domen, A. Gupta, C.A. Grimes, Nanotechnology 17, 5117 (2006)
B. Liu, H.C. Zeng, Langmuir 20, 4196 (2004)
S.J. Pearton, D.P. Norton, K. Ip, Y.W. Heo, T. Steiner, Prog. Mater. Sci. 580, 293–340 (2005)
B.D. Cullity, S.R. Stock, Elements of X-ray Diffraction (Prentice Hall, New York, 2001)
S.C. Liufu, H.N. Xiao, Y.P. Li, Polym. Degrad. Stab. 87, 103 (2005)
Y.J. Kwon, K.H. Kim, C.S. Lim, K.B. Shim, J. Ceram. Proc. Res. 3, 146 (2002)
R.F. Silva, M.E.D. Zaniquelli, Colloids Surf. A 198–200, 551 (2002)
E. Ziegler, A. Heinrich, H. Oppermann, G. Stover, Phys. Status Solidi A 66, 635 (1981)
P. Zu, Z.K. Tang, G.K.L. Wong, M. Kawasaki, A. Ohtomo, H. Koinuma, Y. Segawa, Solid State Commun. 103, 459 (1997)
V. Srikant, D.R. Clarke, J. Appl. Phys. 83, 5447 (1998)
S. Maensiri, C.P. Laokul, V. Promarak, J. Cryst. Growth 289, 102 (2006)
K. Vanheusden, W.L. Warren, C.H. Sesger, D.R. Tallant, J.A. Voigt, B.E. Gnage, J. Appl. Phys. 79, 7983 (1996)
S.C. Lyu, Y. Zhang, H. Ruh, H. Lee, H. Shim, E. Suh, C.J. Lee, Chem. Phys. Lett. 363, 134 (2002)
J. Wang, L. Gao, Solid State Commun. 132, 269 (2004)
K. Pato, E. Swatsitang, W. Jareonboon, S. Maensiri, V. Promarak, Optoelec. Adv. Mater. Rapid Commun. 1, 287 (2007)
S. Maensiri, C. Masingboon, V. Promarak, S. Seraphin, Opt. Mater. 29, 1700 (2007)
Y. Li, G.S. Cheng, L.D. Zhang, J. Mater. Res. 15, 2305 (2000)
S. Monticone, R. Tufeu, A.V. Kanaev, J. Phys. Chem. B 102, 2854 (1998)
B.D. Yao, Y.F. Chan, N. Wang, Appl. Phys. Lett. 81, 757 (2002)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Labuayai, S., Promarak, V. & Maensiri, S. Synthesis and optical properties of nanocrystalline ZnO powders prepared by a direct thermal decomposition route. Appl. Phys. A 94, 755–761 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-008-4984-2
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-008-4984-2