Study of stability of ZnO nanoparticles and growth mechanisms of colloidal ZnO nanorods

Abstract

After hydrolyzing zinc acetate in methanol solution, spherical ZnO nanoparticles in the size range from about 2.5 to 5 nm were synthesized by maintaining a ZnO concentration of 0.02M. Compared to ZnO nanoparticles prepared via other methods, the particles prepared using our novel colloidal chemistry exhibit narrow size distribution and a high sensitivity to the surrounding environment. The structure and composition of the white powders precipitated from the colloidal solution can vary, depending on how the powder samples are prepared. Factors such as desorption and adsorption of methanol, binding of water and exposure to humid air have been studied to correlate to the structure and composition observed from the precipitated powder. Methanol desorption rate and excess KOH on the particle surface have played an important role in the structural changes. Furthermore, upon annealing, the white precipitate is recovered to wurtize ZnO. XRD and TEM are used to study the structural transformation of ZnO nanoparticles.