Structure study of electrodeposited ZnO nanowires

In this work, we report on the structure study of electrodeposited ZnO nanowires. The samples were mounted as a working electrode and the deposition was performed in a classical three electrodes electrochemical cell. For obtaining ZnO nanowires, the working electrode was a polycarbonate membrane with a random distribution of nanometric pores, gilded one side to ensure electric contact. The morphology and structure characterizations of the different diameters ZnO nanowires were carried out by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The electrons pattern diffraction confirmed the same crystal structure of electrodeposited ZnO nanowires indexed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) on electrodeposited ZnO thin films: hexagonal ZnO phase with cell parameters a=0.32584 nm and c=0.52289 nm. Both TEM investigations and HRTEM images reveal a monocrystalline structure for electrodeposited ZnO nanowires. A roughness of few nanometers on the wire surface was observed. Meanwhile, no preferential growth direction has been obviously detected.