PHILLIP MATTHEW E.

MALICDEM

2015-12162

Structural and Spectroscopic Characterizations of ZnO Quantum

Dots Annealed at Different Temperatures
Geeta Rani, P.D. Sahare

Department of Physics and Astrophysics, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007, India

Method of Fabrication
1 mol/l of Zinc acetate dihydrate was mixed with Ethanol at 900 C, stirred vigorously for 90 minutes and
then cooled at room temperature. 0.59g of Lithium Hydroxide was dissolved in 50 mL of ethanol and was
kept in ultrasonic bath and then cooled at room temperature. The Lithium Hydroxide solution was slowly
added to the Zinc Acetate solution at room temperature and was vigorously stirred. Following the addition
of n-heptane and vigorous stirring, a precipitate was obtained. This precipitate is the Zinc Oxide Quantim
Dots. The solution was then centrifuged and the precipitate was collected and then submerged in ethanol.
The precipitate was then dried at room temperature and then annealed in air at different temperatures for 3
hours.

Methods of characterization
 X-ray diffraction (XRD)
- X-ray diffraction was done in order to study the structural and optical properties of the
obtained precipitate. The X-ray diffraction was done on the D8-Advance model machine of
Bruker Inc. with a wavelength of λ = 0.154056 nm. The data obtained was compared to some
standard data files in order to confirm the formation of different phases in the material.
 Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM)
- The images precipitate was put in a High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscope
(HRTEM) to study the morphology of the nanocrystalline material. The FEI TEM model
TECNAI G2 T30, U-TWIN machine was used in getting the TEM images of the precipitate at
300kV. The TEM sampled were prepared by putting a drop of the zinc oxide solution of
suspended nanoparticles in anhydrous ethanol on a carbon coated copper grid.
 Ultraviolet/Visible Spectra (UV-Vis)
- The precipitate was put in Evolution UV-Vis. spectrophotometer, Thermo Scientific Inc. in
order to estimate the band gaps of the material
 Photoluminescence Spectra
- The precipitate was put on a fluorescence spectrophotometer (Fluorolog Horiba JOBIN
YVON) with an excitation wavelength of 350nm to study the different kinds of defects in the
material.
Suggested improvements
 SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope)
- Images of the precipitate can be put in a scanning electron microscope in order to study more
of its surface morphology
 Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR)
- The Precipitate can be put on a FT-IR in order to determine the different chemicals that is
currently present on the precipitate.
 Raman Spectroscopy
- The precipitate can undergo Raman spectroscopy in order to study its molecular structure,
effects of bonding, stress/strain, and environment effects
 Zeta Potential
- The solution from which the precipitate was obtained can undergo zeta potential to determine
whether the particles of the solution tend to flocculate when put into the ultra sonicator.
 Particle Size
- The particle size of the Precipitate can be obtained to determine its chemical reactivity,
bioavailability, dissolution and crystallization rates, stability in suspension, texture of the
material, flow ability and handling, packing density and porosity.