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Nanoforests composed of ZnO/C core–shell hexagonal nanosheets: fabrication and growth in a sealed thermolysis reactor and optical properties

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Abstract

An efficient method was developed for fabricating a highly porous nanoforest structure composed of ZnO/C core–shell hexagonal nanosheets (HNSs). Compact thermolysis of zinc acetate dihydrate in a sealed bath reactor at 400 °C over 20 h yielded the nanoforest structures. A carbon shell layer coating was applied in situ during the growth of the ZnO nanosheet core. The structures, morphologies, growth processes, compositions, and binding characteristics of the ZnO/C core–shell HNS nanoforests were analyzed using multi-purpose high-performance X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) techniques. XRD and XPS results suggest the existence of oxygen vacancy defects in the core surface of ZnO/C core–shell. The ZnO/C core–shell HNS nanoforests exhibited strong absorption features from the visible to the near-IR region (400–1670 nm), and the nanoforest films showed high electrical conductivity.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by grants from the Korean government (NRF, MSIP, 2010-0024254 and 2007-0056095), and HS and MMH were supported by the BK21 PLUS program. In addition, Dr. B-C. Ku was supported by a grant from KIST institutional program (2Z04250).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry and Bioactive Material Sciences and Research Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chonbuk National University, Jeonju, 561-756, Korea

    Muhammad Mohsin Hossain, Hossain Shima & Jae Ryang Hahn

  2. Carbon Convergence Materials Research Center, Institute of Advanced Composite Materials, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Wanju-gun, Jeollabuk-do, Korea

    Muhammad Mohsin Hossain & Bon-Cheol Ku

  3. Textile Engineering, Chemistry and Science, North Carolina State University, 2401 Research Dr, Raleigh, NC, 27695-8301, USA

    Jae Ryang Hahn

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  1. Muhammad Mohsin Hossain
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  2. Hossain Shima
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  3. Bon-Cheol Ku
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  4. Jae Ryang Hahn
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Correspondence to Bon-Cheol Ku or Jae Ryang Hahn.

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Hossain, M.M., Shima, H., Ku, BC. et al. Nanoforests composed of ZnO/C core–shell hexagonal nanosheets: fabrication and growth in a sealed thermolysis reactor and optical properties. J Mater Sci 50, 93–103 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-014-8569-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-014-8569-5

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