Structural regulation and optical properties of one-dimensional ZnO nanomaterials in situ grown from and on brass substrates

One-dimensional ZnO nanostructures have been in situ grown on the conductive brass substrate by directly heating the Cu_0.70Zn _0.30 alloy foils in O₂/Ar at 550-900 °C. The growth process and products have been well characterized by means of X-ray diffraction, Raman scattering, electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron, and photoluminescence spectroscopy. The results indicate that more Zn species is lost from the brass foils at the higher temperatures. Zn species is exhausted, and a sharp diffraction peak shift appears around 750 °C due to the quick depletion. The structures of the ZnO products have been systematically regulated and the more oxygen vacancy is associated with the higher reaction temperature. The correlation in between the oxygen vacancy concentration and the green and exciton emission for these products has been experimentally demonstrated and well understood, which is important for luminescence applications. © 2009 American Chemical Society.