LAUSR

ZnO nanopowder was synthesized using a relatively facile and convenient glycol process. ZnO nanopowder was successfully synthesized at temperatures as low as 125°C using zinc acetate as the Zn source and 1,4-butanediol as the solvent. Then, the effects of water content on the growth process and morphological evolution of ZnO powders were investigated using 1,4-butanediol and water as binary solvent mixtures. Using pure 1,4-butanediol at a temperature above 125°C, the prepared hexagonal ZnO nanopowder exhibited a quasi-spherical shape with average crystalline size of approximately 30 50 nm. It is also demonstrated that the morphology of ZnO powders can be controlled by the addition of various water content in 1,4-butanediol. With increasing water content, the morphologies of the ZnO powders changed sequentially from quasi-spherical to hexagonal plate and pyramid, and finally to hexagonal prismatic with a pyramidal tip. A sharp peak centered at 384 nm in the UV region and a weak broad peak in the visible region between 450 and 700 nm were shown in the room temperature PL spectra of the ZnO synthesized using the glycol process, regardless of the addition of water, suggesting that ZnO nanopowders with the best crystallinity were obtained under these conditions.