Controllable Growth of Ultrathin P-doped ZnO Nanosheets

Ultrathin phosphor (P)-doped ZnO nanosheets with branched nanowires were controllably synthesized, and the effects of oxygen and phosphor doping on the structural and optical properties were systematically studied. The grown ZnO nanosheet exhibits an ultrathin nanoribbon backbone with one-side-aligned nanoteeth. For the growth of ultrathin ZnO nanosheets, both oxygen flow rate and P doping are essential, by which the morphologies and microstructures can be finely tuned. P doping induces strain relaxation to change the growth direction of ZnO nanoribbons, and oxygen flow rate promotes the high supersaturation degree to facilitate the growth of nanoteeth and widens the nanoribbons. The growth of P-doped ZnO in this work provides a new progress towards the rational control of the morphologies for ZnO nanostructures.