Microstructural Study of ZnO Nanostructures by Rietveld Analysis

ZnO nanorods were synthesized by induced seeds by chemical bath deposition using hexamethylenetetramine (HMT) as a precipitant agent and zinc nitrate (ZN) as Zn2+ source at 90°C. The influence of reactants ratio was studied from 2 to 0.25 ZN/HMT molar. The results obtained by scanning electron microscopy confirm that the diameter of nanorods was affected directly by the concentration of both zinc and OH− sources. Nanotubes (hollow nanorods) were obtained with high HMT concentrations and were turning over nanorods as HMT concentration decreased. Microstructural information was obtained by Rietveld refinement of grazing incidence X-ray diffraction data. These results evidence low-textured materials with oriented volumes less than 18% coming from (101) planes in Bragg condition.