Controllable synthesis of ZnO nanostructures using dodecythiol as ligands: A phase-transfer strategy

We report an unparallel route to synthesize ZnO nanocrystallines by using dodecythiol as ligand. Different from other reported solvotherml synthetic routes, the route reported here related to a two-phase reaction system. Primary ZnO particles were generated in aqueous phase and spontaneously capped by dissolved thiol molecules. When a critical size was reached, the thiol-capped particles transferred from aqueous to thiol phase, and their growth was stopped there. After calcining the thiol-capped precursor particles, ZnO nanoparticles were obtained. The derived ZnO nanocrystallines were characterized with X-ray diffraction, energy dispersion X-ray analysis, transmission electron microscopy techniques. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.