Growth of ZnO nanorods from a salt mixture

ZnO nanorods have been synthesized by growth from salt mixtures with a solution-processed Zn-containing precursor at high temperatures. The salt composition and the size of the Zn-containing precursor particles play a key role in the synthesis of ZnO nanorods and define their size and properties. The mechanism of the nanorods' growth is based on the contact melting phenomena at the ZnO nanocrystals-NaCl crystal interface. The resulting nanorods show a strong blue-shifted cathodoluminescence emission due to the quantum confinement effect.