Fabrication of Blanket-Like Assembled ZnO Nanowhiskers Using an Aqueous Solution

Blanket-like assembled ZnO nanowhiskers were fabricated using a freestanding ZnO nanoparticle layer by an aqueous solution deposition. X-ray diffraction and field emission scan-ning electron microscopy clarified the crystalline phase, orien-tation, morphology, and microstructure. Thermal treatment of the zinc acetate dihydrate layer resulted in the formation and delamination of the ZnO nanoparticle layer on the glass sub-strate. The growth habits of ZnO crystals resulted in the growth of ZnO nanowhiskers preferentially orientated along the direc-tion of the c-axis on the whole surface of the freestanding ZnO nanoparticle layer by heterogeneorous nucleation and growth. The hierarchical-structured blanket-like ZnO nanowhisker as-semblies can be utilized for dye-sensitive solar cells and gas sen-sors because of their high surface-to-volume ratio. I