Facile and ultra-rapid synthesis of multi-pod ZnO nanostructures through thermal heating using the flame of a portable gas torch

Abstract

ZnO nanostructures with a multi-pod morphology were formed ultra-rapidly in just 15 s using the hot flame of a gas torch in air at atmospheric pressure. Zn powder was used as the starting material. No catalysts were employed. The average diameter and length of the pods were 130 nm and 750 nm, respectively. The multi-pod ZnO nanostructures had a hexagonal wurtzite crystal structure and exhibited a strong ultraviolet emission at 380 nm. The experimental results reveal that the synthesis process employed in the present work is a simple, economical, and ultrafast method to produce multi-pod ZnO nanostructures with high purity and crystallinity.