Growth mechanism and structural evolution of ZnO nanostuctures on graphite fiber

Abstract

This report presents synthesis of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures on graphite fibers and discusses the growth mechanism and structural evolution under different conditions. In the report, it will contain the literature review of nanostructures. The various types of growth method currently used and heavily researched on. The experiment parameters such as temperature and pressure, that affects the growth of ZnO nanostructures in terms of morphology and dimension. The principle physical properties of ZnO will be discussed, so as to identify the benefits of using ZnO over other semiconductor materials. The literature review also includes the applications of ZnO nanostructures. The following chapter will introduce the experimental setups and procedures for fabricating of ZnO nanostructures under varying conditions. The use of analysis equipment such as scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope and X-ray diffraction to investigate ZnO nanostructures. A series of experiments were carried out to understand the growth mechanism of ZnO nanostructures on graphite fiber. It is found that well-controlled pressure and suitable oxygen supply play a vital role in synthesizing ZnO nanostructures on graphite fibers.