The Effect of Water on the Nucleation Kinetics of ZnO Nanoparticles

The nucleation and growth kinetics for the synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles from ZnCl2 and NaOH in ethanol were determined as a function of the reactant concentrations and the concentration of added water. It was found that the presence of water is essential for the controlled nucleation of ZnO. The nucleation rate increases with increasing reactant concentrations, which is in agreement with classical nucleation theory.