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Nanomaterials
Volume 12
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10.3390/nano12213735
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Article

pH Controlled Nanostructure and Optical Properties of ZnO and Al-Doped ZnO Nanorod Arrays Grown by Microwave-Assisted Hydrothermal Method

by
Lamia Al-Farsi
1,
Tewfik M. Souier
1,*,
Muna Al-Hinai
2,
Myo T. Z. Myint
1,
Htet H. Kyaw
3,
Hisham M. Widatallah
1 and
Mohammed Al-Abri
3,4
1
Department of Physics, College of Science, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat P.O. Box 36, Oman
2
Department of Process Engineering, International Maritime College Oman, Sohar P.O. Box 532, Oman
3
Nanotechnology Research Center, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat P.O. Box 17, Oman
4
Department of Petroleum and Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat P.O. Box 33, Oman
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Nanomaterials 2022, 12(21), 3735; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano12213735
Submission received: 2 October 2022 / Revised: 19 October 2022 / Accepted: 20 October 2022 / Published: 24 October 2022
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Abstract

The low-temperature microwave-assisted hydrothermal method was used to successfully grow pure and Al-doped ZnO (AZO) nanorod (NR) arrays on glass substrates. The combined effects of doping and pH on the structural properties, surface chemistry, and optical properties of all samples were investigated. Thermodynamic-based simulations of the growth solution were performed and a growth mechanism, that considers the effects of both the pH and Al-doping, is proposed, and discussed. Tuning the solution pH is key parameter to grow well-aligned, single crystal, highly packed, and high aspect ratio nanorod arrays. Moreover, the optical absorption in the visible range is enhanced by controlling the pH value. The PL spectra reveal a shift of the main radiative emission from the band-to-band into a transition involving deep defect levels of Zinc interstitial Zni. This shift is caused by an enhancement of the non-radiative components (phonon relaxation) at high pH values. The production of well-ordered ZnO and AZO nanorod arrays with visible-active absorption/emission centers would increase their potential use in various applications.
Keywords: Al-doped zinc oxide; semiconductor; crystal growth mechanism; optical properties; photoluminescence; nanostructure; microwave-hydrothermal deposition Al-doped zinc oxide; semiconductor; crystal growth mechanism; optical properties; photoluminescence; nanostructure; microwave-hydrothermal deposition
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MDPI and ACS Style

Al-Farsi, L.; Souier, T.M.; Al-Hinai, M.; Myint, M.T.Z.; Kyaw, H.H.; Widatallah, H.M.; Al-Abri, M. pH Controlled Nanostructure and Optical Properties of ZnO and Al-Doped ZnO Nanorod Arrays Grown by Microwave-Assisted Hydrothermal Method. Nanomaterials 2022, 12, 3735. https://doi.org/10.3390/nano12213735

AMA Style

Al-Farsi L, Souier TM, Al-Hinai M, Myint MTZ, Kyaw HH, Widatallah HM, Al-Abri M. pH Controlled Nanostructure and Optical Properties of ZnO and Al-Doped ZnO Nanorod Arrays Grown by Microwave-Assisted Hydrothermal Method. Nanomaterials. 2022; 12(21):3735. https://doi.org/10.3390/nano12213735

Chicago/Turabian Style

Al-Farsi, Lamia, Tewfik M. Souier, Muna Al-Hinai, Myo T. Z. Myint, Htet H. Kyaw, Hisham M. Widatallah, and Mohammed Al-Abri. 2022. "pH Controlled Nanostructure and Optical Properties of ZnO and Al-Doped ZnO Nanorod Arrays Grown by Microwave-Assisted Hydrothermal Method" Nanomaterials 12, no. 21: 3735. https://doi.org/10.3390/nano12213735

APA Style

Al-Farsi, L., Souier, T. M., Al-Hinai, M., Myint, M. T. Z., Kyaw, H. H., Widatallah, H. M., & Al-Abri, M. (2022). pH Controlled Nanostructure and Optical Properties of ZnO and Al-Doped ZnO Nanorod Arrays Grown by Microwave-Assisted Hydrothermal Method. Nanomaterials, 12(21), 3735. https://doi.org/10.3390/nano12213735

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