The Effect of Solvents, Acetone, Water, and Ethanol, on the Morphological and Optical Properties of ZnO Nanoparticles Prepared by Microwave

Abstract

HDA-capped ZnO nanoparticles were prepared by solvothermal method using solvents of different polarities. A number of parameters were kept constant such as temperature, pressure, time, and pH while solvents were varied, that is, water, ethanol, and acetone. The TEM was used for the structural properties and morphologies such as spheres, mixture of rods, and spheres and stars were obtained in ethanol, acetone, and water, respectively, in a given reaction time of 15 minutes. Both ethanol and acetone gave rods with high aspect ratio primarily because of the lengths of the rods. Water and ethanol have the hydroxyl groups which interact with nanoparticles from nucleation, growth, and termination giving rise to nonspherical shapes. The hydroxyl group promotes growth in a nonuniform way resulting in stars and rods. The optical features were typical of ZnO nanoparticles with excitonic peaks in the range 368 to 374 nm from their absorption spectra. The XRD patterns of the particles gave the most stable form of ZnO which is the hexagonal phase, with high degree of crystallinity and with the 101 plane predominant in all solvents.

Comparison of optical and photovoltaic properties of ZnO chemically synthesized by using different hydrolyzing agents

“…Since HDA possesses relatively lower solubility in water and due to the lack of interaction of particles with HDA and crystal habits of ZnO, the nuclei have a hexagonal shape. In ethanol, the solubility of HDA is improved, which thereby allows more interaction between the particles with the capping molecule and hence favours the rodlike growth [27].…”

Optoelectronic properties of passivated and solvated (ZnO) 6 nanocluster – A DFT/TD-DFT study

“…Ethanol was chosen as a solvent to reproduce the experimental conditions. The increasing number of IIeVI nanostructures were synthesized in ethanol solution [37]. This has been followed to reproduce the absorption properties of ZnO NCs [38].…”

Optical and photovoltaic properties of temperature-dependent synthesis of ZnO nanobelts, nanoplates, and nanorods

“…It acts as surface complexing agent and plays a crucial part of both kinetic and thermodynamic control in the growth of nanostructures of different shapes. It may also be noted that HDA is not readily soluble in water [33,34]. However, it is obvious that hydrothermal conditions coupled with rise in temperature (from 60 to 180°C) may lead to gradual increase in solubility.…”