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Hierarchical flower-like ZnO microstructures: preparation, formation mechanism and application in gas sensor

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Abstract

Three-dimensional (3D) flower-like ZnO hierarchical microstructures with high uniformity were fabricated from the decomposition of Zn(OH)4 2− precursor, which were synthesized by a facile hydrothermal reaction. XRD, FESEM and TEM were employed to characterize the morphology and structure of the products. The as-prepared flower-like ZnO microstructures with an average diameter of about 2 μm are assembled by large amounts of nanosheets, which have a thickness of ~43 nm. The morphology of the ZnO architectures can be tailored by changing hydrothermal conditions, e.g., hydrothermal temperature, reaction time, and concentration of Zn2+. On the basis of experimental results, the possible formation mechanism of the flower-like ZnO microstructures was also proposed, and the Zn2+ concentration was found to be a vital role in the growth and crystallzation of the flower-like microstructures. The Brunauer–Emmett–Teller measurement shows that the 3D flower-like ZnO hierarchical microstructures possess a specific surface area of about 34.86 m2/g. Most significantly, the gas sensing test reveals that the sensor made from 3D flower-like ZnO hierarchical microstructures exhibits outstanding gas sensing performance.

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Acknowledgements

This work was financially supported by Changzhou Science, Technology Innovation Project, Production-Teaching-Research Project of Changzhou University Institute of Huaide and 2016 Research and Innovation Project for College Graduates of Jiangsu Province.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Petrochemical Engineering, Changzhou University, Changzhou, 213164, People’s Republic of China

    Xiao Qu, Maohua Wang, Weijie Sun & Rong Yang

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  1. Xiao Qu
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  2. Maohua Wang
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  3. Weijie Sun
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  4. Rong Yang
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Correspondence to Maohua Wang.

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Qu, X., Wang, M., Sun, W. et al. Hierarchical flower-like ZnO microstructures: preparation, formation mechanism and application in gas sensor. J Mater Sci: Mater Electron 28, 14702–14710 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-017-7338-z

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