Preparation and performance of ZnO nanoparticle aggregation with porous morphology

ZnO nanoparticle aggregations with porous morphology were prepared by the direct precipitation of Zn(OH)(2) coats on the surface of Zn powders, and succedent calcination of Zn/Zn(OH)(2) composites. The coating and calcination reaction mechanism was given to explain the formation of the novel structure. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, energy-disperse X-ray spectrometry, scanning electron microscopy and ultraviolet-visible spectrometry. It was found that ZnO nanoparticle aggregations were irregular porous microspheres consisting of ZnO nanoparticles with hexagonal wurtzite structure, and the diameters of bores in the microspheres ranged from tens to hundreds nanometers. The gas sensing properties of the samples were investigated. Sensors based on the samples showed high sensitivity and short response time to the H2S gas. These characteristics make the sensors to be excellent potential candidates for detecting H2S. The electrochemical performance of samples as anode materials for Li-ion battery was also investigated. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.