A new approach to synthesize ZnO tetrapod-like nanoparticles with DC thermal plasma technique

The simple fabrication of nanorods mass production for the dye-sensitized solar cell

“…The time elapsed to form ZnO nanoparticles under this process take about 0.01 s [36]. The results of vapors from burning process were then dropped to silo, then sucked by blower passed through the filter tube so that ZnO powders could be seized by filter membrane.…”

“…It can be classified into either physical or chemical methods [19,20] such as thermal hydrolysis [21], hydrothermal processing [22], sol-gel [23][24], vapor condensation [25], spray pyrolysis [26][27], pulse laser decomposition [28], laser ablation [29], thermal evaporation [30.31], pulse combustionspray pyrolysis [32], electro-mechanical [33], flame spray pyrolysis [34], direct precipitation [35] and thermal plasma [36,37,38]. More specific, the synthesis of ZnO nanorods has also been performed using various techniques such as hybrid wet chemical route [39], solution process at low temperature [40], physical evaporation [41][42][43], electrophoretic deposition [44], radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering [45], templating against anodic alumina membrane [46] and PTFE capillary tube reaction [47].…”

Towards large-scale plasma-assisted synthesis of nanowires

“…The group from Taiwan used DC plasma discharge operated at 70 kW and atm pressure, where Zn powders were fed into plasma jet thru carrier gas and subsequently underwent vaporization, oxidation and quench process. [44,47] They noticed that the ratio between carrier gases significantly influences the formation of shape and length of NWs. In the case of N 2 carrier gas, the addition of Ar helped reshaping the precursors-zinc powders of average size 10µm from spheres into elongated or NW-like structures, and less N 2 gas in plasma should favor formation of elongated rod/NW-like nanostructures.…”

One-dimensional growth of zinc oxide nanostructures from large micro-particles in a highly rapid synthesis

“…Since the free energy of an atom reduces once it attaches to a surface and since a system will naturally lower its energy by every possible route [1,17], more atoms attached on the tip surfaces of hillocks and pillars. Rapid 1D growth could have taken place during the quenching stage of the CFCOM process due to the higher availability of oxygen from ambient air combined with lower growth temperature that offered the best conditions for the growth of acicular ZnO structures characterized by ±(0 0 0 2) crystal planes [2][3][4]. Since it is known that the (0 0 0 2) plane possesses the highest surface energy due to its polarized O 2− -terminated surface, it has the highest growth rate among all ZnO crystal planes [4,5].…”

“…The rich structural diversity of zinc oxide (ZnO) has attracted immense research activity especially due its potential and current applications in UV/blue LEDs, piezoelectric devices, transparent electronics, chemical nanosensors, spin electronics, optoelectronic displays, UV lasing, electro-optical switches, varistors, ferrites, ceramics, rubber vulcanization, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and textiles [1][2][3][4][5][6]. Moreover, ZnO can be synthesized in many shapes resembling wires, rods, tubes, spirals, rings, bows, belts, helixes, tripods, tetrapods, combs, propellers, drums, polyhedrons, discs, cages, flowers, stars, boxes, mallets and plates [1,[7][8][9][10][11].…”