Low-temperature synthesis and photoluminescence of ZnO nanostructures by a facile hydrothermal process

We reported a facile route to large-scale ZnO nanostructures by a poly (styrene-alt-maleic acid sodium) (PSMA)-assisted hydrothermal process. Various nanostructures including nanowires, nanobelts and nanorod arrays were fabricated depending on the experimental conditions. The structural studies reveal that all the nanostructures are single crystal with hexagonal phase and preferentially grow along [0 0 0 1]. The organic additive PSMA offers a spatial template for the one-dimensional (1D) growth of ZnO. The photoluminescence (PL) spectra of these nanostructures exhibit coexistence properties of ultraviolet (UV) and green emission. The nanorod arrays and nanobelts exhibit the strongest UV performance and green emission, respectively. We deduce that quantity of surface defects should be responsible for the difference in PL properties of these nanostructures.