Abstract
Zinc oxide's (ZnO) physical and chemical properties make it a viable and extremely attractive compound to use in a variety of nanotechnology applications. Some of these applications include biomedical, energy, sensors, and optics. As the research in ZnO nanostructures continue to grow, it has inspired a whole host of new innovative applications. Complementing its unique chemical qualities, it also has a simple crystal-growth technology and offers significantly lower fabrication costs when compared to other semiconductors used in nanotechnology. Several processes have been developed in order to synthesize high quality ZnO nanostructures - specifically in the case of nanowires. Here we offer a comprehensive review on the growth methods currently employed in research, industry, and academia to understand what protocols are available to meet specific needs in nanotechnology. Methods examined include: the vapor-liquid-solid, physical vapor deposition, chemical vapor deposition, metal-organic chemical vapor deposition, and the hydrothermal-based chemical approach. Each of these methods is discussed and their strengths and weaknesses are analyzed with objective comparison metrics. In addition, we study the current state-of-the-art applications employing ZnO nanostructures at their core. A historical perspective on the evolution of the field and the accompanying literature are also presented.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 612-624 |
Number of pages | 13 |
Journal | Journal of Materials Science |
Volume | 48 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jan 2013 |
Externally published | Yes |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Materials Science(all)
- Mechanics of Materials
- Mechanical Engineering