AACVD Synthesis and Characterization of Iron and Copper Oxides Modified ZnO Structured Films

Non-modified (ZnO) and modified (Fe₂O₃@ZnO and CuO@ZnO) structured films are deposited via aerosol assisted chemical vapor deposition. The surface modification of ZnO with iron or copper oxides is achieved in a second aerosol assisted chemical vapor deposition step and the characterization of morphology, structure, and surface of these new structured films is discussed. X-ray photoelectron spectrometry and X-ray diffraction corroborate the formation of ZnO, Fe₂O₃, and CuO and the electron microscopy images show the morphological and crystalline characteristics of these structured films. Static water contact angle measurements for these structured films indicate hydrophobic behavior with the modified structures showing higher contact angles compared to the non-modified films. Overall, results show that the modification of ZnO with iron or copper oxides enhances the hydrophobic behavior of the surface, increasing the contact angle of the water drops at the non-modified ZnO structures from 122 to 135 and 145 for Fe₂O₃@ZnO and CuO@ZnO, respectively. This is attributed to the different surface properties of the films including the morphology and chemical composition.