ZINC OXIDE NANORODS PREPARED AT LOW TEMPERATURES WITHOUT CATALYST

An easy and novel approach is described for the formation of zinc oxide nanorods by simple reaction of zinc metal with water in a very low temperature range of 25–75°C. It offers a facile and fast route for large scale production of zinc oxide nanorods without catalysts. The diameters of the nanorods range from 30–120 nm with several micrometers in length. The resulting nanorods have been comprehensively characterized by Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) coupled with Energy Dispersive Analysis (EDX). A plausible mechanism is proposed for the formation of these nanorods and it is expected that this synthetic technique can be extended to obtain other oxides. This will contribute to broadening the range of materials.