Role of ambient air on photoluminescence and electrical conductivity of assembly of ZnO nanoparticles

Effect of ambient gases present in air on photoluminescence (PL) and electrical conductivity of films prepared using ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) have been investigated. It is observed that NPs of size below 20 nm kept inside a chamber exhibit complete reduction in their visible PL when oxygen partial pressure of the surrounding gases is decreased by evacuation. However, the visible PL from ZnO NPs is insensitive to other major gases present in the ambient air. The rate of change of PL intensity with pressure is inversely proportional to the ambient air pressure and increases when particle size decreases due to the enhanced surface to volume ratio. On the other hand, an assembly of ZnO NPs behaves as a complete insulator in the presence of dry air and its major components like N(2), O(2), and CO(2). Electrical conduction having resistivity similar to 10(2)-10(3) Omega m is observed in the presence of humid air. The depletion layer formed at the NP surface after acquiring donor electrons of ZnO by the adsorbed oxygen has been found to control the visible PL and increases the contact potential barrier between the NPs which in turn enhances the resistance of the film. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3632059]