ZnO Nanostructures Application in Electrochemistry: Influence of Morphology

The aim of this work was to investigate the influence of morphology on its electrochemical properties by comparing ZnO nanostructures in the forms of tetrapods of different sizes, nanorods, and nanoparticles. ZnO tetrapods were prepared by the combustion method and separated into two fractions by size, ruling out the influence of synthesis conditions. Structural and morphological properties of different ZnO nanostructure morphologies were identified by using various characterization techniques: scanning and transmission electron microscopies (SEM and TEM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), nitrogen adsorption/desorption measurements at 77 K, and UV-vis spectroscopy (UV-vis). Analysis of electrochemical properties showed the highest active surface area of 0.095 cm(2) and the lowest peak separation value of 61.7 mV for large ZnO tetrapods, which are close to the theoretical values. The correlation between the pore size in different ZnO nanostructures because of packing and their electrochemical properties is established. We expect that the detailed analysis of ZnO nanostructures conducted in this study will be advantageous for future electrochemical and biosensing applications of these materials.

Automated summary

This study investigated the influence of morphology on the electrochemical properties of ZnO nanostructures, comparing tetrapods of different sizes, nanorods, and nanoparticles. The analysis revealed that large ZnO tetrapods had the highest active surface area and lowest peak separation value, close to theoretical values. It is established that the pore size in different ZnO nanostructures due to packing correlates with their electrochemical properties.