Microwave-assisted hydrothermal synthesis and characterization of ZnO nanorods

• Published in: Spectrochimica acta. Part A, Molecular and biomolecular spectroscopy Molecular and biomolecular spectroscopy, 2015-09, Vol.148, p.362-368
• Main Authors: Ocakoglu, K., Mansour, Sh.A., Yildirimcan, S., Al-Ghamdi, Ahmed A., El-Tantawy, F., Yakuphanoglu, F.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Diffuse reflectance; Microwave-assisted hydrothermal; Optical properties; ZnO nanorods
• ISSN: 1386-1425
• DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2015.03.106

FE-SEM micrograph of the ZnO nanorods fabricated by microwave-assisted hydrothermal technique. [Display omitted] •ZnO nanorods of wurtzite phase were synthesized by microwave-assisted hydrothermal route.•The optical parameters were studied using Kubeleka–Munk approach.•The obtained optical band gap of the studied sample is 3.17eV.•The electrical conductivity mechanism is controlled by thermally activated process. For the purpose of this study, the nanorods of zinc oxide were synthesized by rapid microwave-assisted hydrothermal route. The microstructure and surface morphology of the sensitized nanorods were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). XRD results indicate that synthesized ZnO nanorods have wurtzite phase. The calculated value of the particle size using Debye Scherrer formula and Williamson Hall plot was found to be 20–28nm and 35.3nm, respectively. Low uniformity distribution of rod-like morphology (60–80nm in diameter and average length about 250nm) are seen in TEM micrographs. The optical parameters of the prepared ZnO nanorods have been calculated using Kubeleka–Munk approach for the UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectrum. It is found that the direct transition optical band gap of the studied sample is 3.17eV. The direct current electrical conductivity (σ) was increased from 6.7×10-8 to 3×10-7Ω-1cm-1 with increasing the temperature (T) in the range (300–425K). The obtained variation of σ with T refers that the conductivity mechanism is controlled by thermally activated process.