Synthesis of ZnO submicron-rods by self assembly method and its properties

The ZnO and Al:ZnO submicron-rods particles were successfully prepared on glass substrate using sol gel method. The deposition of the seed layer was carried out by using dip-coating technique, while the growth of submicron-rods using self-assembly method. The addition of 0.5 wt% aluminium dopant was given in order to decrease the particle size. In order to study the effect of the structure and morphology of ZnO layer as a photocatalyst material, variations in ZnO growth time in 120, 150, 180, and 210 minutes were carried out. Based on SEM characterization, the morphology of ZnO particle for all samples are in the form of rods with submicron size. The ZnO submicron-rods particle diameter size is increase as enhancing of growing time. Otherwise, with the addition of Al dopant, the diameter size seems to be decreased. The differences of diameter size changes between ZnO doped and undoped, probably occur by the changes of pH growth solution when AlCl3 was added. From the XRD characterization, the crystal structure of all samples is hexagonal wurtzite with preferred orientation along c-axis (002-plane). The crystal size of ZnO with Al3+ dopants is decrease since aluminum has a smaller atomic diameter than the Zn2+.