Growth of ZnO Nanorods by the Chemical Solution Method with Assisted Electrical Field

• Published in: Journal of the American Ceramic Society Vol. 89; no. 8; pp. 2654 - 2659
• Main Authors: Zhao, Juan, Jin, Zheng-Guo, Li, Tao, Liu, Xiao-Xin, Liu, Zhi-Feng
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Malden, USA Blackwell Publishing Inc 01.08.2006; Blackwell; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Adsorption; Arrays; Ceramics; Chemical synthesis methods; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Electric fields; Exact sciences and technology; Materials science; Methods of nanofabrication; Nanorods; Nucleation; Physics; Polyethylene glycol; Precursors; Surface chemistry; Zinc oxide; Zinc oxides; Scanning electron microscopy; Zinc oxides; Inorganic compounds; Rod; Chemical preparation; Oxides; Experimental study; Arrays; Electric fields; Nanostructured materials; Growth from solution
• ISSN: 0002-7820; 1551-2916
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1551-2916.2006.01103.x

Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorod arrays on the ZnO‐coated seed substrates were prepared by the solution chemical method from Zn(NO3)2/NaOH under an assisted electrical field. The influence of the electrical field on ZnO nanorod growth was primarily explored, and the positive effects of the electrical field were demonstrated by adding polyethylene glycol in growth solution. It has been proved that the electrical field enhances ion adsorption to the substrate and lowers the nucleation energy barrier by increasing charge intensity; meanwhile, it produces H+ through oxidation of OH− and increases properly the degree of solution supersaturation near the substrate surface. XRD results show that the nanorods grown under the electrical field primarily have a zincite structure. With increasing precursor concentration, the average diameter and length of ZnO nanorods increase. The maximum rod growth rate at a given concentration of Zn2+ ion occurs at a specific temperature.