Chemical solution-process method to synthesize ZnO nanorods with ultra-thin pinheads and ultra-thin nanobelts

ZnO nanorods with 30 nm-diameter ultra-thin pinheads and ultra-thin nanobelts were successfully synthesized using a thiourea solution to etch nanorods and nancombs, which were obtained by a conventional thermal evaporation method. The materials obtained were investigated by field emission scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence. The data shows that hydrogen ions play an important role in synthesizing ZnO nanorods with ultra-thin pinheads and ultra-thin nanobelts. Field emission plots indicated that the turn-on field was reduced from 2.10 V/μm to 1.55 V/μm after thiourea solution treatment at a current density of 0.1 μA/cm². Room-temperature photoluminescence spectra from ZnO nanostructures showed the PL spectrum peaks shifted towards short wavelengths with a large enhancement of UV bands compared with those of ZnO nanorods and nanocombs.