Intra-manganese luminescence in ZnO:Mn2+ nanorods prepared by a simple thermal evaporation process

We report a simple synthesis of Mn-doped ZnO with intra-manganese luminescence in a thermal evaporation system without catalysts or gas flow. The as-grown products are nanorods of several micrometers in length and about 100 nm in diameter. Microstructure analysis reveals that the obtained Mn-doped ZnO nanorods are of high crystallinity and along the [0001] direction growth. The photoluminescence spectrum of Mn-doped ZnO nanorods displays a strong yellow/orange emission at 575 nm from the 4T1(G)→6A1(S) transition of internal Mn2+.

► Mn-doped ZnO nanorods were prepared via a simple thermal evaporation route.
► The internal Mn2+ transition emission from Mn-doped ZnO was observed.
► Mn-doped ZnO nanorods display a yellow–blue joint emission.