AVS 66th International Symposium & Exhibition
    Electronic Materials and Photonics Division Thursday Sessions
       Session EM-ThP

Paper EM-ThP18
Incredibly Simple Synthesis of a Zinc Oxide / Graphene Hybrid Nano Material

Thursday, October 24, 2019, 6:30 pm, Room Union Station B

Session: Electronic Materials and Photonics Poster Session
Presenter: Daniel Little, Ohio Dominican University
Authors: D.J. Little, Ohio Dominican University
J. Pfund, University of Wisconsin - La Crosse
A. McLain, University of Wisconsin - La Crosse
S. Lantvit, University of Wisconsin - La Crosse
S.T. King, University of Wisconsin - La Crosse
Correspondent: Click to Email
Hybrid materials of zinc (II) oxide (ZnO) nanocrystals and graphene are of current interest due to their cheap, Earth-abundant composition, low toxicity, and varied applications in photocatalysis, sensing, and electronics among others. We have developed a novel methodology for the synthesis of such materials utilizing the thermal decomposition of zinc (II) oxalate in solid-state solution with graphene nanoplatelets. Although the procedure involves simply precursor mixing and heating, electronic interaction between the ZnO and graphitic phases is spectroscopically observed in the hybrid material – beyond that of a homogeneous mixture of ZnO and graphene – via powder XRD, XPS, and ATR-IR spectroscopy. The synthetic method employed can be easily tuned for the desired hybrid product stoichiometry, and is easily industrially scalable with minimal chemical waste products. The method can also be adapted for the creation of thin film composite materials.