Zinc and copper oxides functionalized with metal nanoparticles: an insight into their nano-organization

Ag/ZnO and Au/CuxO (x = 1,2) nanocomposites supported on Si(100) and polycrystalline Al2O3 were synthesised by hybrid approaches, combining chemical vapor deposition (either thermal or plasma-assisted) of host oxide matri ices and subsequent radio frequency-sputtering of guest metal particles. The influence of the adopted synthetic parameters on the nanocomposite morphological and compositional features was investigated by field emission-scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Results confirm the synthesis of ZnO and Cu xO nanoarchitectures, characterized by a tailored morphology and an intimate metal/oxide contact. A careful control of the processing conditions enabled a fine tuning of the mutual constituent distribution, opening thus attractive perspectives for the engineering of advanced nanomaterials.