Zinc oxide nanoarrays in nanoporous nickel phosphate with a huge blueshift ultraviolet-visible exciton absorption peak

Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoarray prepared in the template of nanoporous nickel(II) phosphate Versailles Santa Barbara-1 (VSB-1) crystal exhibits an unusual ultraviolet-visible exciton absorption peak and an absorption shoulder. The exciton absorption peak at 266 nm with the largest blueshift of 122 nm up to now and narrow absorption peak with a full width at half maximum (FWHM) of about 34 nm and the narrow photoluminescence emission peak 380 nm with a FWHM of about 30 nm, compared with that of bulk ZnO, are due to the quantum-confinement effects and the narrow size distribution of ZnO in the pores of VSB-1. This material presents potential applications in the theoretical research and fabrication of future quantum devices.