Solvent-assisted self-assembly of ZnO nanoparticles on mica and its characterization

Ordered nanostructure arrangement directly from solution onto surface is one of the important methods to synthesis advanced materials. In this paper, solvent-assisted self-assembly of ZnO nanoparticles on mica was investigated. Results showed ZnO nanoparticles were closely linked to each other and formed fork-like nanostructures on mica. ZnO nanostructures were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The possible mechanism of nanoparticle self-assembly was given. The decrease of solvent density led to the aggregation of nanoparticles. It may provide a simple and effective method to construct nanostructures.