ZnO Nanoparticles to Nanowires and Nanobundles

Abstract

Abstract. Nanosized Zinc oxide (ZnO) possesses unique electrical, optoelectronics and photochemical characteristics and thus it is a potential candidate for different applications in next generation of optoelectronic device. In this work, a novel sol-gel route for the synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles and its transformation into wires and bundles has been reported. The process is adopted from a simple and hand-on route that also shows the power of green chemistry in nanomaterials synthesis. ZnO nanoparticles (~30 nm in diameter) were synthesized from bottom-up approach followed by a further process to obtain nanometric wires and bundles under controlled conditions. The nanowires and bundles are speculated to initiate from anisotropic agglomeration of nanometric particles and agglomeration of these nanometric wires into bundles respectively. Control of these agglomeration processes is a key challenge for application of nanowires and bundles into useful devices.