Hydrothermally Grown ZnO Nanorods as Promising Materials for Low Cost Electronic Skin

ZnO nanorods (NRs) are nanomaterials with a wide range of applications (photocatalysis, optoelectronics, catalysis, etc). One peculiar property of ZnO NRs is their piezoelectricity, which opens up a wealth of possibilities in the field of pressure sensors. In fact, thanks also to the recent availability of low cost hydrothermal growth, it is already possible to fabricate flexible, large area, self-powered, distributed pressure sensors, with a high potential for use in robotics and prosthetics as "electronic skins". This review focuses hence on ZnO NRs grown by the hydrothermal method, with an eye on the relationship between the reaction parameters and the resulting NRs morphology, and on their specific application in pressure sensing in terms of device design and performance.