The distinct optical emission from ZnO materials, nanoneedles and microcrystallites synthesized with different sizes and morphologies by a flow deposition technique, is investigated with X-ray excited optical luminescence (XEOL) and time-resolved Xray excited optical luminescence (TR-XEOL) from a synchrotron light source at the O K and Zn L3,2 edges. The innovative use of XEOL, allowing site-specific chemical information and luminescence information at the same time, is fundamental to provide direct evidence for the different behaviour and the crucial role of bulk and surface defects in the origin of ZnO optical emission, including dynamics. XEOL from highly crystalline ZnO nanoneedles is characterized by a sharp band-gap emission (about 380 nm) and a broad red luminescence (about 680 nm) related to surface defects. Luminescence from ZnO microcrystallites is mostly dominated by green emission (about 510 nm) associated with defects in the core. TR-XEOL experiments show considerably faster decay dynamics in nanoneedles compared to microcrystallites for both band-gap emission and visible luminescence. Herein we make a fundamental step forward correlating for the first time the interplay of size, crystallinity, morphology and excitation energy with luminescence from ZnO materials.
The Origin and Dynamics of Soft X-Ray-Excited Optical Luminescence of ZnO
Armelao L;
2010
Abstract
The distinct optical emission from ZnO materials, nanoneedles and microcrystallites synthesized with different sizes and morphologies by a flow deposition technique, is investigated with X-ray excited optical luminescence (XEOL) and time-resolved Xray excited optical luminescence (TR-XEOL) from a synchrotron light source at the O K and Zn L3,2 edges. The innovative use of XEOL, allowing site-specific chemical information and luminescence information at the same time, is fundamental to provide direct evidence for the different behaviour and the crucial role of bulk and surface defects in the origin of ZnO optical emission, including dynamics. XEOL from highly crystalline ZnO nanoneedles is characterized by a sharp band-gap emission (about 380 nm) and a broad red luminescence (about 680 nm) related to surface defects. Luminescence from ZnO microcrystallites is mostly dominated by green emission (about 510 nm) associated with defects in the core. TR-XEOL experiments show considerably faster decay dynamics in nanoneedles compared to microcrystallites for both band-gap emission and visible luminescence. Herein we make a fundamental step forward correlating for the first time the interplay of size, crystallinity, morphology and excitation energy with luminescence from ZnO materials.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
