Spray Pyrolysis Synthesis of ZnO Micro/Nanorods on Glass Substrate

Zinc oxide micro/nanorods with potential applications in solar cells, lithium-ion batteries, and other electooptic devices have been synthesized as thin films on glass substrate at substrate temperature of 300 +/- 5A degrees C using precursor solution of zinc chloride (ZnCl2) in distilled water. The films were characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and x-ray energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). SEM images revealed micro/nanorods with hexagonal cross-section and tapered ends. EDS spectra revealed that the films were oxygen rich and contained chlorine due to the ZnCl2 in the precursor solution. ImageJ software was used to analyze the size, solidity, and compactness of the rods. The rods had average diameter of 250 +/- 92 nm and average length of 376 +/- 98 nm. As a measure of the compactness of the films, the circularity was found to be 0.91 +/- 0.01. The solidity of the rods was found to be 0.84 +/- 0.03. The average surface area was found to be 2.2 x 10(5) +/- 3 x 10(4) nm(2), a high value that would favor absorption of radiation in dye-sensitized solar cells.