A study on rapid growth and piezoelectric effect of ZnO nanowires array

This work presents a rapid and simple synthesis procedure for ZnO nanowires (NWs) array by using the vapor–solid (VS) method. Experimental results indicate that the length and diameter of the grown ZnO NWs are associated with the temperature effect, while the growth density of NWs is strongly related to gas flux during the VS process. Additionally, the synthesized ZnO NWs possess specific crystalline qualities, making them highly promising for piezoelectric device applications. Therefore a piezoelectric type nanogenerator based on the ZnO NWs is also designed in this work, with a high output of piezoelectric current of 0.6 μA cm−2 obtained as well. Our results further demonstrate the feasibility of applying piezoelectric energy via the rapidly grown ZnO NWs array.

► A rapid and simple manufacturing process for synthesis of ZnO NWs is proposed.
► A piezoelectric type nanogenerator based on the synthesized ZnO NWs was constructed.
► A high output of piezoelectric current was obtained with the nanogenerator.