Triangular ZnO Nanosheets: Synthesis, Crystallography and Cathodoluminescence

ZnO nanosheets with triangular morphology have been synthesized on an Au-coated silicon substrate through a facile thermal evaporation process. The morphologies and microstructures of the nanosheets were studied by a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and a high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HR-TEM). These studies show that a nanosheet is commonly composed of two parts: a triangular ZnO sheet and an Au nanoparticle attached on its tip-end. Detailed crystallography analyses conclude that the formation of the highly crystalline nanostructures can be assigned to a combination of a vapor liquid solid (VLS) process that is believed to be responsible for its initial nucleation and subsequent crystallization along the growth direction, and a vapor solid (VS) process that is responsible for its further radial growth. The spatially-resolved cathodoluminescence (CL) spectra exhibit a sharp strong near-band-edge (NBE) emission in the ultraviolet range and a negligible green emission.