Wet-chemistry methods have crucial advantages for the synthesis of nanostructures, including simple, low-cost, large-area, and low-temperature deposition on almost arbitrary substrates. Nevertheless, the rational design of improved wet-chemistry procedures is extremely difficult because, in practice, only post-synthesis characterization is possible. In fact, the only methods for on-line monitoring the growth of nanostructures in liquids are complex, expensive and introduce intricate artifacts. Here we demonstrate that electro-mechanically resonating substrates and in-situ temperature sensors easily enable an accurate real-time investigation of reaction kinetics and, in combination with conventional SEM imaging, greatly facilitate the rational design of optimized synthesis procedures; in particular, such a simple approach provides useful insight for the development of processes where one or more key parameters are dynamically adjusted. As a proof-of-concept, first, we accurately characterize a process for fabricating arrays of ZnO nanorods; afterwards, we design a dynamic-temperature process that, in comparison with the corresponding constant-temperature procedure, is almost-ideally energy efficient and results in ZnO nanorods with improved characteristics in terms of length, aspect ratio, and total deposited nanorods mass. This is a major step towards the rational design of dynamic procedures for the solution growth of nanostructures.

Orsini, A., Falconi, C. (2014). Real-time monitoring of the solution growth of ZnO nanorods arrays by quartz microbalances and in-situ temperature sensors. SCIENTIFIC REPORTS, 4 [10.1038/srep06285].

Real-time monitoring of the solution growth of ZnO nanorods arrays by quartz microbalances and in-situ temperature sensors

ORSINI, ANDREA;FALCONI, CHRISTIAN
2014-01-01

Abstract

Wet-chemistry methods have crucial advantages for the synthesis of nanostructures, including simple, low-cost, large-area, and low-temperature deposition on almost arbitrary substrates. Nevertheless, the rational design of improved wet-chemistry procedures is extremely difficult because, in practice, only post-synthesis characterization is possible. In fact, the only methods for on-line monitoring the growth of nanostructures in liquids are complex, expensive and introduce intricate artifacts. Here we demonstrate that electro-mechanically resonating substrates and in-situ temperature sensors easily enable an accurate real-time investigation of reaction kinetics and, in combination with conventional SEM imaging, greatly facilitate the rational design of optimized synthesis procedures; in particular, such a simple approach provides useful insight for the development of processes where one or more key parameters are dynamically adjusted. As a proof-of-concept, first, we accurately characterize a process for fabricating arrays of ZnO nanorods; afterwards, we design a dynamic-temperature process that, in comparison with the corresponding constant-temperature procedure, is almost-ideally energy efficient and results in ZnO nanorods with improved characteristics in terms of length, aspect ratio, and total deposited nanorods mass. This is a major step towards the rational design of dynamic procedures for the solution growth of nanostructures.
2014
Pubblicato
Rilevanza internazionale
Articolo
Esperti anonimi
Settore ING-INF/01 - ELETTRONICA
English
Con Impact Factor ISI
Article number: 6285 (2014)
http://www.nature.com/articles/srep06285
Orsini, A., Falconi, C. (2014). Real-time monitoring of the solution growth of ZnO nanorods arrays by quartz microbalances and in-situ temperature sensors. SCIENTIFIC REPORTS, 4 [10.1038/srep06285].
Orsini, A; Falconi, C
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/2108/115316
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