No abstract

ZnO nanorods (NRs) with high surface area to volume ratio and biocompatibility is used as an efficient photosensitizer carrier system and at the same time providing intrinsic white light needed to achieve cancer cell necrosis. In this letter, ZnO nanorods used for the treatment of breast cancer cell (T47D) are presented. To adjust the sample for intracellular experiments, we have grown the ZnO nanorods on the tip of borosilicate glass capillaries (0.5 μm diameter) by aqueous chemical growth technique. The grown ZnO nanorods were conjugated using protoporphyrin dimethyl ester (PPDME), which absorbs the light emitted by the ZnO nanorods. Mechanism of cytotoxicity appears to involve the generation of singlet oxygen inside the cell. The novel findings of cell-localized toxicity indicate a potential application of PPDME-conjugated ZnO NRs in the necrosis of breast cancer cell within few minutes.

We report the fabrication of heterostructure white light–emitting diode (LED) comprised of n-ZnO nanotubes (NTs) aqueous chemically synthesized on p-GaN substrate. Room temperature electroluminescence (EL) of the LED demonstrates strong broadband white emission spectrum consisting of predominating peak centred at 560 nm and relatively weak violet–blue emission peak at 450 nm under forward bias. The broadband EL emission covering the whole visible spectrum has been attributed to the large surface area and high surface states of ZnO NTs produced during the etching process. In addition, comparison of the EL emission colour quality shows that ZnO nanotubes have much better quality than that of the ZnO nanorods. The colour-rendering index of the white light obtained from the nanotubes was 87, while the nanorods-based LED emit yellowish colour.

Vertically aligned ZnO nanorods (NRs) with a diameter in the range of 160–200 nm were grown on p‐GaN/sapphire substrates by aqueous chemical growth technique and white light emitting diodes (LEDs) are fabricated. The properties of this LED were investigated by parameter analyzer, cathodoluminescnce (CL), electroluminescence (EL), and photoluminescence (PL). The I–V characteristics of the fabricated ZnO/GaN heterojunction revealed rectifying behavior and the LED emits visible EL when bias is applied. From the CL it was confirmed that both the ZnO NRs and the p‐GaN are contributing to the observed peaks. The observed EL measurements showed two emission bands centered at 450 nm and a second broad deep level defect related emission centered at 630 nm and extending from 500 nm and up to over 700 nm. Moreover, the room temperature PL spectrum of the ZnO NRs/p‐GaN reveals an extra peak at the green color wavelength centered at 550 nm. Comparison of the PL, CL, and EL data suggest that the blue and near red emissions in the EL spectra are originating from Mg acceptor levels in the p‐GaN and from the deep levels defects present in the ZnO NRs, respectively. The mixture of high and low energy colors, i.e., blue, green, and red, has led to the white observed luminescence.