Low-temperature synthesis and photoluminescence properties of oriented ZnAl_2O_4 nanowire arrays

摘要

Using zinc nitrate and anodic aluminum oxide membrane as starting materials, oriented nanowire arrays of the spinel ZnAl_2O_4 have been successfully fabricated at a relative low temperature of 350 ℃ by the proposed simple and facile "MID" method, which exploits the membrane as a reactive template. The elaborative investigations by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy demonstrate that the sample not only crystalizes well but also exhibits continuous nanowire morphology with a high-aspect-ratio. A discussion of the possible mechanism based on the Kirkendall effect for the formation of the oriented ZnAl_2O_4 nanowire arrays is also given. Photo-luminescence measurement of the oriented ZnAl_2O_4 nanowire arrays presents a strong green emission centered at about 500 nm at room temperature. Such supported ZnAl_2O_4 nanowire arrays may have advantages in different applications.