AACVD Synthesis and Characterization of Iron and Copper Oxides Modified ZnO Structured Films
Martha Claros1, Milena Setka1, Yecid P Jimenez2
1CEITEC-Central European Institute of Technology, Brno University of Technology, 61200 Brno, Czech Republic.
Nanomaterials (Basel, Switzerland)
|March 11, 2020
Summary
Adding iron or copper oxides to zinc oxide (ZnO) films enhances surface hydrophobicity. Modified ZnO films exhibit increased water contact angles, demonstrating improved water-repellent properties for advanced material applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Surface Chemistry
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Zinc oxide (ZnO) is a versatile semiconductor with applications in coatings and electronics.
- Surface modification is crucial for tailoring material properties like hydrophobicity.
- Aerosol-assisted chemical vapor deposition (AACVD) offers precise control over film morphology and composition.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize and characterize non-modified ZnO and modified Fe2O3@ZnO and CuO@ZnO structured films.
- To investigate the effect of iron (Fe2O3) and copper (CuO) oxide surface modification on ZnO films.
- To evaluate the hydrophobic behavior of the modified structured films using water contact angle measurements.
Main Methods:
- Deposition of ZnO, Fe2O3@ZnO, and CuO@ZnO structured films using aerosol-assisted chemical vapor deposition (AACVD).
- Characterization of film morphology and structure via electron microscopy (SEM/TEM).
- Analysis of film composition and crystal structure using X-ray photoelectron spectrometry (XPS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD).
- Measurement of surface hydrophobicity using static water contact angle (WCA) analysis.
Main Results:
- Successful synthesis of non-modified ZnO and modified Fe2O3@ZnO and CuO@ZnO structured films.
- XPS and XRD confirmed the presence of ZnO, Fe2O3, and CuO, with electron microscopy revealing distinct morphological and crystalline characteristics.
- All structured films exhibited hydrophobic behavior, with modified films showing significantly higher contact angles.
- Water contact angles increased from 122° for ZnO to 135° for Fe2O3@ZnO and 145° for CuO@ZnO.
Conclusions:
- Surface modification of ZnO with Fe2O3 or CuO via AACVD effectively enhances surface hydrophobicity.
- The increased hydrophobicity is attributed to changes in surface morphology and chemical composition induced by the oxide modifications.
- These findings highlight the potential of Fe2O3@ZnO and CuO@ZnO structured films for applications requiring enhanced water-repellent surfaces.
