Comparison of Polyol and Hydrothermal Methods for Synthesis of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles

Zinc oxide (ZnO) is an inorganic semiconductor compound with a direct bandgap of 3.3 eV and is mainly used as additive in many technological applications such as cosmetic, food, and cement. The functionality of ZnO strongly depends on the particle size, crystallinity, and shape. In this work, ZnO nanoparticles (ZnONPs) were prepared using two different routes: polyol and hydrothermal processes. The products were compared using scanning tunneling microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-Ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and UV-Vis. absorption spectroscopy techniques. Additionally, hydrothermal method was performed at three temperature values of 100, 120, and 150 oC and the effect of temperature on the hydrothermal synthesis of ZnONPs was also discussed in this study.