High-Voltage, High-Current Electrical Switching Discharge Synthesis of ZnO Nanorods: A New Method toward Rapid and Highly Tunable Synthesis of Oxide Semiconductors in Open Air and Water for Optoelectronic Applications

A novel method of oxide semiconductor nanoparticle synthesis is proposed based on high-voltage, high-current electrical switching discharge (HVHC-ESD). Through a subsecond discharge in the HVHC-ESD method, we successfully synthesized zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods. Crystallography and optical and electrical analyses approve the high crystal-quality and outstanding optoelectronic characteristics of our synthesized ZnO. The HVHC-ESD method enables the synthesis of ZnO nanorods with ultraviolet (UV) and visible emissions. To demonstrate the effectiveness of our prepared materials, we also fabricated two UV photodetectors based on the ZnO nanorods synthesized using the subsecond HVHC-ESD method. The UV-photodetector test under dark and UV light irradiation also had a promising result with a linear ohmic current–voltage output. In addition to the HVHC-ESD method’s excellent tunability for ZnO properties, this method enables the rapid synthesis of ZnO nanorods in open air and water. The results demonstrate the preparation, highlight the synthesis of fine hexagonal-shaped nanorods under a second with controlled oxygen vacancies, and point defects for a wide range of applications in less than a second.本研究提出了一种基于高压大电流电开关放电（high-voltage, high-current electrical switching discharge, HVHC-ESD）的氧化物半导体纳米颗粒合成新方法。借助该HVHC-ESD方法中的亚秒级放电过程，我们成功合成了氧化锌（zinc oxide, ZnO）纳米棒。通过晶体学、光学与电学表征分析，证实了所合成的ZnO具备优异的晶体质量与突出的光电子学特性。该HVHC-ESD方法可合成兼具紫外（ultraviolet, UV）与可见光发射特性的ZnO纳米棒。为验证所制备材料的实际效能，我们还基于该亚秒级HVHC-ESD方法合成的ZnO纳米棒，制备了两台紫外光电探测器。在暗环境与紫外光辐照条件下开展的紫外光电探测器测试结果同样优异，其电流-电压输出呈现出良好的线性欧姆特性。除了对ZnO性能具备出色的可调谐性之外，该HVHC-ESD方法还可在空气与水环境中快速合成ZnO纳米棒。本研究结果验证了该制备工艺的可行性，突出展示了其可在1秒内合成形貌规整的六方纳米棒，且能够精准调控氧空位与点缺陷，可适配多领域的应用需求。