Low-temperature hydrothermal synthesis and characterization of ZnO nanoparticles

Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles with different morphologies including spherical and granular shapes, have been hydrothermally synthesized at 100 °C. It has been found that volumes of added sodium hydroxide and zinc acetate dehydrate in water play a crucial role to control the morphology of ZnO nanostructure. It is found that the solution basicity has determinative effects on morphology of the obtained ZnO nanoparticle by controlling composition of the precursor and mediating the nucleation and crystal growth rate of ZnO. On the basis of structural information provided by FTIR, XRD and SEM, a possible growth mechanism for the formation of spherical ZnO structures has been discussed.