Open AccessZinc oxide porous nano-cages fabricated by laser ablation of Zn in ammonium hydroxide
Author(s) -
Shuang Li,
Ming Chen,
Xiangdong Liu
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.22.018707
Subject(s) - ammonium hydroxide , materials science , nano , porosity , ammonia , laser ablation , etching (microfabrication) , zinc , chemical engineering , hydroxide , oxide , nanotechnology , semiconductor , inorganic chemistry , laser , optics , composite material , optoelectronics , chemistry , metallurgy , layer (electronics) , organic chemistry , physics , engineering
We report the successful synthesis of ZnO porous nano-cages with controllable hollow spaces by simply using laser ablation of Zn target in liquid medium containing deionized water and ammonia (V(water):V(ammonia) = 7:1~5:1). In addition to the porous surface, the created interior space of the ZnO nano-cage substantially increases with the ammonia concentration. The related growth mechanism has been illustrated based on the ultra-rapid alkaline etching process. Moreover, numerous Zn(NH3)(4)(2+) clusters generated by the selective etching route readily penetrate into the ZnO porous structures and can be embedded in these unique nano-cages. It is envisaged that these composite ions/ ZnO porous nano-cages have significant implications for gas sensing and catalytic applications. The synthetic scheme used here should also be applicable to other semiconductors.