Synthesis, growth kinetics and optical properties of zinc oxide nanoparticle suspensions and thin films

Colloidal chemistry techniques were used to synthesize ZnO particles in the nanometer size regime. The particle aging kinetics were determined by monitoring the optical band edge absorption and using the effective mass model to approximate the particle size as a function of time. The growth kinetics of the ZnO particles were found to follow the Lifshitz, Slyozov, Wagner theory for Ostwald ripening. In this model, the higher curvature and hence chemical potential of smaller particles provides a driving force for dissolution. The larger particles continue to grow by diffusion limited transport of species dissolved in solution.; Thin films of ZnO quantum particles were fabricated by electrophoretic deposition from suspensions prepared via a colloidal chemistry synthesis route. Films were prepared at constant current thus eliminating the limited deposition rate associated with constant voltage deposition. The kinetics for the deposition of thin films were determined using optical absorbance techniques in conjunction with atomic absorption spectrometry. The particle velocity during deposition and the charge on the particles were determined from the deposition kinetics.; The thin films prepared by electrophoretic deposition exhibited optical properties characteristic of the quantum size particles. The average particle size, and hence the optical properties, were tailored by controlling the aging time and temperature of the suspensions. Both the band-to-band and visible photoluminescence were progressively blue shifted, relative to the bulk value, with decreasing particle size in the film. A linear dependence was found between the band-to-band and visible emission.; Finally, particle growth was manipulated by the specific adsorption of a series of capping ligands at the particle surface. The adsorption of the capping ligands was found to produce a diffusion barrier such that particle growth was stunted following incorporation with the extent of this effect being dependent upon concentration and selection of ligand. Preliminary experiments aimed at producing 2-D ordered monolayers and electrostatically trapped particle chains were performed and provide a foundation for further refinement.