Synthesis and characterisation of three-dimensional dendritic ZnO nanorods

Abstract

Intriguing ZnO three-dimensional (3D) dendritic nanorods on silicon substrates have been successfully synthesised by thermal evaporation of pure zinc powder at a relative low temperature of 478°C without any metal catalyst. ZnO dendritic nanostructure exhibits unique shape and it is composed of stems and nanorod branches. It is found that the nanorods are single crystalline wurtzite structures, and each nanorod grows along the [0001] direction. At different growth temperatures, the shapes of ZnO nanostructures can be altered. System analysis reveals that the formation and morphology of ZnO dendritic nanostructures are sensitive to the growth temperature. Finally, room temperature photoluminescence spectrum is also investigated, revealing that the ZnO dendritic nanostructure could find application in UV optoelectronic devices; the nanostructure implies some potential applications for nanoscale functional devices.