Optical properties correlated with morphology and structure of TEAH modified ZnO nanoparticles via precipitation method

• ZnO and TEAH modified ZnO nanoparticles were synthesized by precipitation method.
• The powders have wurtzite polycrystalline structure.
• A correlation between morphology, structure and photoluminescence was established.

ZnO nanoparticles were synthesized by the precipitation method, with and without tetraethylammonium hydroxide (TEAH) addition. FTIR analysis was performed for the characterization of ZnO precursors. The as-obtained ZnO nanoparticles were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning and transmission electron microscopies (SEM/TEMs) in order to observe the structural and morphological properties of the samples. The ZnO sample, obtained from the precursor containing TEAH, thermally treated at 700 °C for 2 h, shows a compact structure with polygonal particles, having crystallites size around 42 nm. The correlation between morpho-structural characteristics and the optical properties of the as-obtained samples was mainly investigated.