ZnS nanostructures: From synthesis to applications
TL;DR: In this paper, a comprehensive review of the state-of-the-art research activities related to ZnS nanostructures is provided, with the focus on the critical experiments determining the electrical, chemical and physical parameters of the nanostructure, and the interplay between synthetic conditions and nanoscale morphologies.
About: This article is published in Progress in Materials Science.The article was published on 2011-02-01. It has received 1090 citations till now.
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TL;DR: The application of type II heterostructured semiconductors in the area of environmental remediation and water splitting is traced, major fabrication methods are summarized, some of the progress and resulting achievements are described, and the future prospects are discussed.
Abstract: Considerable efforts have been devoted to enhancing the photocatalytic activity and solar energy utilization of photocatalysts. The fabrication of type II heterostructures plays an important role in photocatalysts modification and has been extensively studied. In this review, we briefly trace the application of type II heterostructured semiconductors in the area of environmental remediation and water splitting, summarize major fabrication methods, describe some of the progress and resulting achievements, and discuss the future prospects. The scope of this review covers a variety of type II heterostructures, focusing particularly on TiO2 and ZnO based visible light driven type II 0D and 1D heterostructured photocatalysts. Some other low dimensional nanomaterials which have shown high-performance photocatalysis are also presented. We expect this review to provide a guideline for readers to gain a clear picture of fabrication and application of type II heterostructures.
922 citations
TL;DR: Because of the unique morphology and the fast ion and electron transfer characteristics, the prepared HTNs show excellent supercapacitor performances.
Abstract: In this paper, the hierarchical SnO2 nanostructures (HTNs) were prepared by a facile hydrothermal process. The prepared HTNs were characterized in detail by various analytical techniques that reveal the well-crystallinity with tetragonal rutile structure of SnO2 for the as-prepared material. By detailed experiments, interestingly, it was observed that the shapes and sizes of as-prepared HTNs could be tailored by varying the precursor concentration and reaction time. The synthesized HTNs were used as the efficient photocatalysts for the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) under light illumination which showed almost complete degradation (∼99%) of MB dye in 20 min. The observed degradation for MB dye was higher than other commonly used dyes, i.e. methyl orange (MO; 96% in 50 min) and Rhodamine B (RhB; 97% in 40 min.). Further, the prepared HTNs were used as the effective gas sensing material to examine a series of volatile gases, such as ethanol, ammonia, benzene, acetone, toluene, methanol, d...
452 citations
TL;DR: The used polymers and the state-of-the-art strategies for the controllable fabrication of NFN membranes are highlighted in terms of the ESN process and some potential applications associated with the remarkable features ofNFN nanostructure are highlighted.
435 citations
Cites background from "ZnS nanostructures: From synthesis ..."
...Nanostructured materials, as the forefront of the hottest fundamental materials nowadays, provide one of the greatest potentials for improving performance and extended capabilities of products in a number of industrial sectors, which are gradually accessing into our daily life [1] [2] [3] [4] ....
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TL;DR: In this article, the effect of key operational parameters on the photocatalytic performance in terms of the degradation and mineralization of dyes are discussed, in particular aiming at enhancing the degradation efficiency and activity in visible region as well as solar irradiation.
Abstract: Organic dyes are one of the largest groups of pollutants discharged into wastewaters from textile and other industrial processes. Owing to the potential toxicity of the dyes and their visibility in surface waters, removal and degradation of them have attracted considerable attention worldwide. A wide range of approaches have been developed, amongst which the heterogeneous photocatalysis involving zinc oxide (ZnO) emerges as a promising new route for water purification process. For the first time, we attempt to review and summarize the recent research on ZnO photocatalytic systems for organic dyes degradation. The photocatalysis on modified ZnO is also discussed, in particular aiming at enhancing the degradation efficiency and activity in visible region as well as solar irradiation. The effects of key operational parameters on the photocatalytic performance in terms of the degradation and mineralization of dyes are detailed. This review also highlights the utilization of multivariate analysis to d...
370 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors focus on the sensors based on zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures, which have fascinating properties including large specific surface area, good biocompatibility, high electron mobility and piezoelectricity.
Abstract: This review focuses on the sensors based on zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures, which have fascinating properties including large specific surface area, good biocompatibility, high electron mobility and piezoelectricity. Due to these versatile characteristics, ZnO nanostructures can be based upon to construct gas sensors, chemical sensors, biosensors, UV sensors, pH sensors and other sensors with different sensing mechanisms. The main structures of the sensors and factors influencing the sensitivity are also discussed.
365 citations
References
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TL;DR: In this article, the authors focus on the properties of quantum dots and their ability to join the dots into complex assemblies creates many opportunities for scientific discovery, such as the ability of joining the dots to complex assemblies.
Abstract: Current research into semiconductor clusters is focused on the properties of quantum dots-fragments of semiconductor consisting of hundreds to many thousands of atoms-with the bulk bonding geometry and with surface states eliminated by enclosure in a material that has a larger band gap. Quantum dots exhibit strongly size-dependent optical and electrical properties. The ability to join the dots into complex assemblies creates many opportunities for scientific discovery.
10,737 citations
TL;DR: Semiconductor nanocrystals prepared for use as fluorescent probes in biological staining and diagnostics have a narrow, tunable, symmetric emission spectrum and are photochemically stable.
Abstract: Semiconductor nanocrystals were prepared for use as fluorescent probes in biological staining and diagnostics. Compared with conventional fluorophores, the nanocrystals have a narrow, tunable, symmetric emission spectrum and are photochemically stable. The advantages of the broad, continuous excitation spectrum were demonstrated in a dual-emission, single-excitation labeling experiment on mouse fibroblasts. These nanocrystal probes are thus complementary and in some cases may be superior to existing fluorophores.
8,542 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a simple route to the production of high-quality CdE (E=S, Se, Te) semiconductor nanocrystallites is presented, based on pyrolysis of organometallic reagents by injection into a hot coordinating solvent.
Abstract: A simple route to the production of high-quality CdE (E=S, Se, Te) semiconductor nanocrystallites is presented. Crystallites from ∼12 A to ∼115 A in diameter with consistent crystal structure, surface derivatization, and a high degree of monodispersity are prepared in a single reaction. The synthesis is based on the pyrolysis of organometallic reagents by injection into a hot coordinating solvent. This provides temporally discrete nucleation and permits controlled growth of macroscopic quantities of nanocrystallites. Size selective precipitation of crystallites from Portions of the growth solution isolates samples with narrow size distributions (<5% rms in diameter). High sample quality results in sharp absorption features and strong «band-edge» emission which is tunable with particle size and choice of material
8,374 citations
TL;DR: A comprehensive review of 1D nanostructures can be found in this article, where the authors provide a comprehensive overview of current research activities that concentrate on one-dimensional (1D) nanostructure (wires, rods, belts and tubes).
Abstract: This article provides a comprehensive review of current research activities that concentrate on one-dimensional (1D) nanostructures—wires, rods, belts, and tubes—whose lateral dimensions fall anywhere in the range of 1 to 100 nm. We devote the most attention to 1D nanostructures that have been synthesized in relatively copious quantities using chemical methods. We begin this article with an overview of synthetic strategies that have been exploited to achieve 1D growth. We then elaborate on these approaches in the following four sections: i) anisotropic growth dictated by the crystallographic structure of a solid material; ii) anisotropic growth confined and directed by various templates; iii) anisotropic growth kinetically controlled by supersaturation or through the use of an appropriate capping reagent; and iv) new concepts not yet fully demonstrated, but with long-term potential in generating 1D nanostructures. Following is a discussion of techniques for generating various types of important heterostructured nanowires. By the end of this article, we highlight a range of unique properties (e.g., thermal, mechanical, electronic, optoelectronic, optical, nonlinear optical, and field emission) associated with different types of 1D nanostructures. We also briefly discuss a number of methods potentially useful for assembling 1D nanostructures into functional devices based on crossbar junctions, and complex architectures such as 2D and 3D periodic lattices. We conclude this review with personal perspectives on the directions towards which future research on this new class of nanostructured materials might be directed.
8,259 citations
"ZnS nanostructures: From synthesis ..." refers background in this paper
...Nanostructured materials are a new class of materials, having dimensions in the 1–100 nm range, which provide one of the greatest potentials for improving performance and extended capabilities of products in a number of industrial sectors [5]....
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...They are also expected to play important roles as both interconnects and the key units in fabricating electronic, optoelectronic, electrochemical, and electromechanical devices with nanoscale dimensions [5,62,63]....
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TL;DR: This approach has the potential of converting mechanical, vibrational, and/or hydraulic energy into electricity for powering nanodevices.
Abstract: We have converted nanoscale mechanical energy into electrical energy by means of piezoelectric zinc oxide nanowire (NW) arrays. The aligned NWs are deflected with a conductive atomic force microscope tip in contact mode. The coupling of piezoelectric and semiconducting properties in zinc oxide creates a strain field and charge separation across the NW as a result of its bending. The rectifying characteristic of the Schottky barrier formed between the metal tip and the NW leads to electrical current generation. The efficiency of the NW-based piezoelectric power generator is estimated to be 17 to 30%. This approach has the potential of converting mechanical, vibrational, and/or hydraulic energy into electricity for powering nanodevices.
6,692 citations
"ZnS nanostructures: From synthesis ..." refers background in this paper
...The concept of the nanogenerators was first introduced by Wang and co-workers through examining the piezoelectric properties of ZnO nanowires with an atomic force microscope (AFM) [455]....
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