Nanosphericals and nanobundles of ZnO: Synthesis and characterization

ZnO nanosphericals and nanobundles well dispersion have been synthesized using [(N,N′-bis(salicylaldehydo)ethylenediamine)zinc(II)]; [Zn(salen)] as precursor via two methods. Nanosphericals of ZnO has been prepared via thermal decomposition of [Zn(salen)] in the presence of oleylamine at 290 °C for 90 min. Also nanobundle of ZnO has been synthesized via thermolysis of [Zn(salen)] in the air at 500 °C for 5 h. The as-synthesized products were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and scanning electronic microscopy (SEM). The room temperature photoluminescence (PL) spectra of both nanostructures are dominated by the green emission attributed to the oxygen vacancy (VO) related donor–acceptor transition. Presence of several infrared (IR) inactive vibrational modes in the Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) absorption spectra of the samples indicates a breakdown of translational symmetry in the nanostructures induced by native defects.

Research highlights▶ ZnO nanospherical has been synthesized using inorganic precursor via thermolysis process. ▶ ZnO nanobundle has been synthesized via thermolysis of [Zn(salen)] in the air at 500 °C for 5 h.