Physical properties of 1-D ZnO-based nanostructures

Nanotechnology refers to the design, synthesis and applications of nanostructures and nanomaterials. When a structure undergoes miniaturisation to the nanometre scale, it may start exhibiting new physical properties or phenomena. One-dimensional (1-D) nanostructures have attracted immense attention due to the unique optical and electrical properties they possess that differ from those of bulk and nanoparticles as well as their promising applications in the fabrication of nanodevices. Possessing an understanding of their properties is essential to the further development of applications. In this work, 1-D zinc oxide (ZnO) and zinc tin oxide (Zn2SnO4) nanostructures were fabricated via the thermal evaporation and vapour transport method. Structural characterisation was done using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). ZnO nanowires were tested for field emission and lasing. The nanowires have been found to display good lasing properties. Investigations of field emission, electrical properties and photoluminescence of Zn2SnO4 nanowires were conducted. Zn2SnO4 nanowires have shown several unique optical and electrical properties, which make them a promising component in devices. For future work, one of the research focuses will be on the growth control of Zn2SnO4 nanowires and their wavelength tunable emission.Bachelor of Science in Physic