IR Photoacoustic Spectroscopy of Silica and Aluminum Oxide

Quantum Size Effects in Zinc Oxide Nanoclusters Synthesized by Reactive Sublimation

Nanostructured ZnO materials were synthesized by a novel reactive sublimation process, followed by cluster consolidation. The zinc oxide nanometer-sized grains were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and photoacoustic Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (PA-FTIR). These techniques illustrate the crystallization and grain growth of the ZnO nanostructured materials in a sequence of heat treatments. Peak sharpening and red-shifting of the phonon band in PA-FTIR spectra of ZnO nanoclusters demonstrate the reduction of finite crystal size effects during annealing. The high surface area and adsorbed species in ZnO nanoclusters were eliminated after sintering at a low temperature of 800 °C. The nanometer-sized ZnO particles have promising electronic and optical properties associated with the quantum size effects.