Synthesis of ZnO nanowires with supercritical carbon dioxide and post heat treatment

Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowires are used in applications such as gas sensors and solar cells. This work presents a novel synthesis route for ZnO nanowires using supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO₂) and post heat treatment. The method used scCO₂ and a precursor solution as reactants to form nanowires on a galvanized surface. After the scCO₂ treatment, the substrate was heat-treated. The surfaces were characterized with SEM, TEM, EDS, FTIR, XRD and optical spectroscopy. The FTIR results showed that the surface structure had changed from zinc hydroxycarbonate to ZnO during the heat treatment. The nanowires were slightly bent due to the heat treatment according to the SEM images. The presence of ZnO was further confirmed with XRD. The bandgap of the structure was determined by reflectance measurements and showed a value of 3.23 eV. The synthesis method presented in this study offers a unique approach into the formation of ZnO nanowires in a facile, rapid and environmentally friendly process. (paper)