Zinc Oxide Nanostructures: Synthesis and Characterization: History Edit

Among various metal oxide materials, ZnO presents itself as a multifunctional material due to its own properties and functionalities. The properties of ZnO include its wide band gap (3.37 eV), high exciton binding energy (60 meV) [1,2], biocompatibility, and ease of fabrication. Due to its excellent properties, ZnO is widely used for various potential applications, such as catalysis, solar cells, ultraviolet (UV) lasers, light-emitting diodes, photo-detectors, sensors (chemical, bio-, and gas), and optical and electrical devices [3]. Among various applications, the use of ZnO nanomaterials as a photocatalyst has attracted particular interest due to their large surface area; wide band gap; ease of fabrication and cost effective synthesis; and biocompatible and environmentally benign nature [4]. The new challenge for ZnO is to use it as suitable material for quantum information science eliminating the drawbacks connected with the blinking of single photon sources and providing ideal candidates for photon entanglement with tunability in energy of the entangled photons.

References:

1.       Baskoutas, S.; Bester, G. Conventional Optics from Unconventional Electronics in ZnO colloidal quantum dots. J. Phys. Chem. C 2010, 114, 9301–9307.

2.       Baskoutas, S.; Bester, G. Transition in the Optical Emission Polarization of ZnO Nanorods. J. Phys. Chem. C 2001, 115, 15862–15867.

3.       Chrissanthopoulos, A.; Baskoutas, S.; Bouropoulos, N.; Dracopoulos, V.; Poulopoulos, P.; Yannopoulos, S.N. Synthesis and characterization of ZnO/NiO p-n heterojunctions: ZnO nanorods grown on NiO thin film by thermal evaporation. Photonic Nanostruct. 2011, 9, 132–139.

4.       Dar, G.N.; Umar, A.; Zaidi, S.A.; Baskoutas, S.; Hwang, S.W.; Abaker, M.; Al-Hajry, A.; Al-Sayari, S.A. Ultra-high sensitive ammonia chemical sensor based on ZnO nanopencils. Talanta 2012, 89, 155–161.

  • s: ZnO
  • synthesis
  • characterization
  • nanoparticles
  • nanorods
  • quantum wires
  • thin films