Size-controlled synthesis of ZnO nanocrystals from diethylzinc and donor-functionalized alcohols

Nanocrystals of zinc oxide (ZnO) were prepared from diethylzinc and donor-functionalized alcohols, 2-methoxyethanol, 2-ethoxyethanol, and 2-methoxyethoxyethanol by sol-gel processing. The nanocrystals were prepared at room temperature and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and selected area electron diffraction (SAED). Crystal sizes were con trolled by the type of utilized donor-functionalized alcohol in which decreased by an increase of the chain length and type of the donor-functionalized alcohol from 16 to 27 nm. The HRTEM and SAED results revealed that the degree of crystallinity decreases with increasing donor-functionalized alcohol chain length. The particle size of the ZnO powders demonstrated high tolerance to heat treatment and grow up to approximately 65 to 80 nm upon calcination at 1000 degrees C. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.