Solvent-less synthesis of zinc oxide nanostructures from Zn(salen) as precursor and their optical properties

ZnO nanoparticles, 10-20 nm in size, were synthesized by heat treatment in air at 500 degrees C for 5 h., using [N,N'-bis(salicylaldehydo) ethylene diamine]zinc(II), i.e., Zn(salen), as precursor, which was obtained by a solvent-free solid-solid reaction. Heat-treated products were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. Room temperature photoluminescence spectra of ZnO nanostructures are dominated by green emission attributed to oxygen vacancy related donor-acceptor transition. (c) 2012 Chinese Society of Particuology and Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.