Integration of ZnO/ZnS nanostructured materials into a cotton fabric platform

Inorganic semiconductor nanostructures coupled to flexible substrates such as natural and synthetic fibrous materials have been studied for a wide range of potential applications that include wearable electronics, protective textiles, portable and flexible photovoltaic and solar cell devices. Here, we report the fabrication of ZnO/ZnS core-shell nanorod arrays on a cotton platform via a simple, low-temperature hydrothermal growth technique. ZnO nanorods were converted to ZnO/ZnS core-shell nanorod arrays through a mild sulfidation process with sodium sulfide. TEM, XRD, and XPS were used to characterize the nanorods to reveal a highly crystalline ZnO core with a polycrystalline ZnS shell. Photoluminescence measurements demonstrate a remarkably large UV emission for the ZnO/ZnS nanorod arrays on cotton. Such materials are anticipated to be useful for wearable, portable electronic devices and as protective textiles.