Self-Assembled ZnO Nanostructure by One Step Emulsion Combustion Synthesis

Self- assembled ZnO nanostructures were synthesized by a simple, rapid and cost- effective emulsion combustion method. The synthesized ZnO nanostructures have a hexagonal wurtzite structure. TEM micrographs of the sample consisted of looped chains that were <1 μm in length and consisted of 30-120 isometric 13-16 nm sized nanoparticles. The assembling of nanoparticles transforms from branched chain to linear network by increasing the molar concentration of oleic acid from 0.5 to 1.5. The linear network was <700 nm in length and width varies from 15-35 nm respectively. The oleic acid bonding with ZnO was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The optical band gap (E_g) of 3.34, 3.38 and 3.43 eV based on the absorption edge 371, 367 and 361 nm respectively. Magnetization study reveals that the ZnO sample exhibits diamagnetic behavior.