Synthesis of ZnO nanorods by the thermal reduction process of a mixture of ZnO and Al powder

Single-crystalline Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods were firstly synthesized on gold-coated Si substrate via a simple thermal reduction method from the mixture of ZnO and Al powder. The growth process was carried out in a quartz tube at different temperature (550-700 °C) and at different oxygen partial pressure. Their structure properties were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The length of the as-prepared ZnO nanorods was up to several micrometers and their diameters were about 130 nm. The X-ray diffraction patterns, transmission electron microscopic images, and selective area electron diffraction patterns indicate that the one-dimensional ZnO nanorods are a pure Single-crystal and preferentially oriented in the [0001] direction. The reaction mechanism of ZnO nanorods was proposed on the basis of experimental data.