Synthesis and characterization of ZnO microstructures via a cationic surfactant-assisted hydrothermal microemulsion process

Hexagonal cylinder-like ZnO with a regular twinning microstructure was successfully synthesized via a cationic surfactant-assisted hydrothermal microemulsion route. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and Ultraviolet and Visible absorption spectroscopy were employed to characterize the structure, morphologies and properties of the as-prepared samples. The results showed that the reaction temperature, reaction time and molar ratio (w) between water and CTAB exhibited obvious influences on the morphologies and sizes of the products. The Ultraviolet and Visible absorption spectra revealed a strong and broad absorption band from ultraviolet to visible region and the maximum absorption peak appeared at 376 nm. Moreover, the possible growth mechanism for the ZnO microstructures was also discussed in this study.