Synthesis, field emission properties and optical properties of ZnSe nanoflowers

Graphical abstract: Unique ZnSe nanoflowers have been successfully synthesized by reaction of Se powder with Zn substrates. They are characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, XPS, EDS and Raman spectroscopy and were single crystals with cubic zinc blende (ZB) structure. They also have excellent field emission properties and optical properties. - Highlights: • Novel ZnSe nanoflowers are grown on Zn foils. • ZnSe nanoflowers are characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, XPS and Raman spectra. • ZnSe nanoflowers on Zn foils as cathodes possess good FE properties. - Abstract: ZnSe nanoflowers have been synthesized by reaction of Se powder with Zn substrates at low temperature. The as-prepared ZnSe nanoflowers were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray energy dispersive spectroscope (EDS) and Raman spectroscopy measurements. It was found that the morphologies of the as-prepared samples highly depended on reaction time. ZnSe nanoclusters and nanoflowers formed at 573 K when the reaction time was 20 and 60 min, respectively. The as-prepared ZnSe nanoflowers were composed of radically aligned ZnSe nanorods with smooth surfaces. The results of XRD, XPS, EDS, TEM and Raman showed that the as-prepared ZnSe nanocrystals were single crystals with cubic zinc blende (ZB) structure. The formation mechanism of the as-prepared ZnSe nanoflowers was also discussed. In addition, the as-prepared ZnSe nanoflowers had excellent electron emission properties. The turn-on field of the as-prepared ZnSe nanoflowers was 3.5 V/μm and the enhancement factor was 3499. The optical properties of the as-prepared ZnSe nanoflowers were also investigated. The results demonstrated that the as-prepared ZnSe nanoflowers were potential candidates for optoelectronic devices.