Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation

Fei Wang

Xudong Wang

Zhenqiang Ma

Jung-Hun Seo

Alexander V Kvit

Methods of making electrically conductive, doped zinc oxide nanowires and nanowire films are provided. The methods comprises the steps of forming an aqueous solution comprising a dopant-containing precursor salt, a zinc-containing precursor salt and a pH buffering agent and heating the aqueous solution to a temperature below its boiling point in the presence of seed crystals, whereby doped zinc oxide nanowires are grown in situ from the seed crystals in the aqueous solution.

Solution-based synthesis of doped ZnO nanostructures

The present invention provides continuous, free-standing metal oxide films and methods for making said films. The methods are able to produce large-area, flexible, thin films having one or more continuous, single-crystalline metal oxide domains. The methods include the steps of forming a surfactant monolayer at the surface of an aqueous solution, wherein the headgroups of the surfactant molecules provide a metal oxide film growth template. When metal ions in the aqueous solution are exposed to the metal oxide film growth template in the presence of hydroxide ions under suitable conditions, a continuous, free-standing metal oxide film can be grown from the film growth template downward into the aqueous solution.

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Madison, WI, United States of America

Fei Wang