In-Situ TEM Observation of ZnO Nanostructure Growth in Liquid

Zinc oxide nanowires have attracted much attention due to the potential applications for optoelectronic, piezoelectric and biocompatible properties. Among the various of synthesis methods, hydrothermal method has advantages such as low cost, simple process and high yield. However, the lack information that how dose nanowire architectures grow from solvent by hydrothermal method remain unresolved.In this study, the liquid cells has been designed, which can sealed the solution and be able to observe in in-situ transmission electron microscopy (in-situ TEM). We used zinc acetate and HMTA as the precursor to synthesize the ZnO nanowires at 80°C by hydrothermal method. The nucleation and growth process of ZnO nanowires was successfully observed; besides, the thermodynamics and kinetic of the reaction was systematically studied. The understanding of these synthesis processes provide significant information for the design and synthesis of functional nanomaterials in solutions.