CTAB-mediated synthesis and characterization of ZnO/Ag core–shell nanocomposites

• Published in: Journal of alloys and compounds 2014-11, Vol.612, p.306-314
• Main Authors: Khan, Majid, Wei, Chengsha, Chen, Mingming, Tao, Jiaojiao, Huang, Ningdong, Qi, Zeming, Li, Liangbin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Chemical synthesis methods; Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; CTAB; Exact sciences and technology; Materials science; Methods of nanofabrication; Nanocrystals and nanoparticles; Optical properties and condensed-matter spectroscopy and other interactions of matter with particles and radiation; Optical properties of low-dimensional, mesoscopic, and nanoscale materials and structures; Photoluminescence; Physics; Ultraviolet-visible absorption; ZnO NRs/Ag core-shell
• ISSN: 0925-8388; 1873-4669
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jallcom.2014.05.209

Simplified schematic process for ZnO NRs/Ag nanocomposites [Display omitted] •A new simple and facile approach to synthesize ZnO NRs/Ag core–shell nanocomposite.•The annealing improves the crystallinity and bond strength between Ag and ZnO.•CTAB and AgNO3 greatly affect the formation of ZnO NRs/Ag core–shell.•Strong interfacial interaction between Ag nanoparticles and ZnO nanorods. In this paper, ZnO/Ag core–shell hybrid nanocomposites have been prepared by a very simple chemical methodology. ZnO nanorods were employed as core material for Ag seeds, and subsequent nucleation and growth of Ag nanoparticle by a cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) formed the ZnO NRs/Ag core–shell nanocomposites. In addition, their morphology, microstructure and optical properties have been characterized by X-ray diffraction, Raman Spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, UV–Vis absorption and photoluminescence spectroscopy. It was found that face-center-cubic Ag nanoparticles with an average diameter of 20nm were coated onto the surface of hexagonal phase ZnO nanorods with a minimum of 0.09mmol concentration of CTAB. The excitonic absorption band and surface plasmon absorption band of the ZnO NRs/Ag nanocomposites revealed red-shifts relative to pure ZnO nanorods and metallic Ag nanoparticles. The coating of Ag nanoparticles onto the ZnO nanorods show red-shift in the near band edge (NBE) luminescence spectra and a reasonable detraction in the deep level emission (DLE) spectra compared with the pure ZnO nanorods. These interpretations demonstrated the strong interfacial interaction between Ag nanoparticles and ZnO nanorods. Furthermore, the annealing of ZnO NRs/Ag nanocomposite at 200°C was done and improvement occurs in the crystallinity and binding strength of Ag nanoparticles.