Effect of heat treatment on the structure and morphology of ZnO nanorod array and its composite with titania precursor

• Published in: Phase transitions Vol. 90; no. 1; pp. 44 - 53
• Main Authors: Bobowska, Izabela, Wypych-Puszkarz, Aleksandra, Opasinska, Agnieszka, Maniukiewicz, Waldemar, Wojciechowski, Piotr
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Abingdon Taylor & Francis 02.01.2017; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Ammonium; Arrays; Coalescence; Coalescing; Crystallization; dielectric materials: titanates (77.84.Cg); Dip coatings; Heat treating; Heat treatment; High temperature; Immersion coating; Liquid phase deposition; Morphology; Nanocomposites; Nanorods; Nanostructure; Phase transitions; Plates (structural members); Precursors; Scattering; sintering, (81.20.Ev); Stoichiometry; Structure of nanorods (61.46.Km); Titanates; Titanium dioxide; X-ray scattering (61.05.cf); Zinc; Zinc oxide; ZnO films (77.55.hf)
• ISSN: 0141-1594; 1029-0338
• DOI: 10.1080/01411594.2016.1212195

Effects of the elevated temperature on the structure evolution of the ZnO nanorod array (ZNA) and their hybrid nanocomposite with layered (tetramethyl)ammonium titanate (LTMAT) prepared by the liquid phase deposition were investigated. The vertically oriented ZnO nanorods were deposited on a quartz plate by a chemical bath deposition method and then they were penetrated by the LTMAT using the dip-coating method from the water solution. As a result of such an experimental procedure, an assembly composed of the ZNA with LTMAT was obtained and called hybrid nanocomposite. Since the LTMAT converts to TiO 2 upon subsequent sintering at 350 °C, it can be regarded as TiO 2 precursor for the thermal treatment experiments. The experiments with ZNA and their hybrid nanocomposite at the elevated temperature revealed coalescence of the deposited ZnO nanorods and crystallization of zinc titanate with Zn 2 TiO 4 stoichiometry.