Glutathione-assisted synthesis of star-shaped zinc oxide nanostructures and their photoluminescence behavior

- Morphology has been investigated as a function of capping agent concentration.
- Comparison between capped and uncapped ZnO nanoparticles has been examined.
- Diffraction scans show the crystalline wurtzite structure of synthesized product.
- Recorded PL spectra show the multichromatic behavior of synthesized nanostructures.

Star-shaped ZnO nanostructures have been synthesized by facile chemical co-precipitation method in the presence of glutathione. Glutathione, a reducing agent, shape modifier and an entirely benign antioxidant; acts as a capping agent in the present study. The powder X-ray diffraction patterns indicate that the novel star-shaped ZnO nanostructures exhibit hexagonal structure. Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopic studies confirmed the anchoring of glutathione on ZnO nanocrystals. Transmission electron microscopy and field emission scanning electron microscopy revealed the star and cube-shaped shaped morphology of the glutathione modified nanocrystals. Optical characterization of synthesized nanocrystals has been done by UV-vis absorption spectroscopy and steady state photoluminescence spectroscopy. Recorded Photoluminescence spectra confirm the multi-chromatic photoluminescence behavior of the synthesized nanostructures.