Zinc oxide and multi-walled carbon nanotube (ZnO/MWCNT) hybrid nanocomposites were synthesised by microwave-assisted method using the mixed solution of zinc acetate dehydrate (Zn(CH 3 COO) 2 Á2H 2 O) and treated MWCNTs. The syntheses were carried out at various microwave irradiation powers. The characterisation of the as-synthesised nanocomposites was conducted by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The XRD results revealed that the composites were composed of two phases of MWCNTs and hexagonal wurzite ZnO. The SEM results showed that the ZnO nanoparticles were well decorated on the surface of MWCNTs. The amount of ZnO nanoparticles and their size increased with increasing irradiation power. Thick-film sensors were fabricated onto interdigitated conducting electrodes using as-synthesised hybrid composites as sensing materials. The alcohol-sensing behaviour of the hybrid composite films was investigated. The results indicated that the irradiation power had significant influence on the sensing response of the sensors toward alcohol. The sensor fabricated from the composite synthesised at higher irradiation power exhibited an enhanced alcohol-sensing performance.

A composite material of zinc oxide and carbon nanotubes were successfully synthesized via a sol process using zinc acetate dihydrate and treated multi-wall carbon nanotubes under microwave irradiation. The morphology, microstructure and chemical bonding of as-obtained composites were well characterized using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Zinc oxide nanoparticles were dispersively coated on the surface of carbon nanotube when the precursor was dried under microwave irradiation without post-annealing. X-ray diffraction results obviously showed the mixture of two phases of carbon nanotube and wurzite zinc oxide whose size is approximately 15 nm. The formation of zinc oxide nanoparticles on carbon nanotube surface in the composite prepared by microwave heating is much better than the composite heated by conventional annealing. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic results suggest that carboxylic groups and uniform heating by microwave heating could play key roles on the nucleation of zinc oxide on carbon nanotube surface.

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This research studied characteristics of the Nd:YAG laser with second harmonic generation (SHG) at 532 nm. It can be develop as a standard wavelength according to the recommendation made by the Comite International des Poids et Measures (CIPM). This study investigates various parameters that effect wavelength and laser power of the Nd:YAG laser such as injection current of diode laser, temperature of Nd:YAG crystal and second harmonic generator crystal. Its wavelength can be tuned in the range of standard wavelength at 532.24503 nm with 10-7 of stability.

II-VI inorganic/organic heterostructures consisting of ZnSe and tris(8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminum (Alq3) were prepared by electron beam evaporator. Alq3 layer with 20 nm was grown between 200-nm ZnSe layers. Photoluminescence measurement was conducted at various temperatures in order to investigate the important temperature-dependent parameters of this structure. PL spectra revealed thermal population of exciton state and the change in PL quantum efficiency of the film.