Highly concentrated zinc oxide nanocrystals sol with strong blueemission

Highly concentrated ZnO sol was synthesized by an improved sol–gel method. Water was used as a modifier to control the sol–gel reaction and provide a way to increase the sol concentration. Concentration of ZnO in the prepared sol is higher than from other methods. Optical absorption and photoluminescence were used to investigate optical properties of the prepared sol. FTIR test was performed to study the influence of water on the compounds of as-prepared sol. The size and morphology of ZnO nanoparticles have been studied by HRTEM. The prepared colloidal ZnO nanocrystals have narrow size distribution (5–8 nm) and showed strong blue emission. The prepared sol has enough potential for optoelectronic applications.