Synthesis of Submicrometer Zinc Oxide Particles and Zinc Oxide Nanowires Using Microwave Irradiation

The synthesis of submicrometer zinc oxide (ZnO) particles by a microwave-assisted sol–gel reaction in a non-alcoholic solvent was investigated. ZnO particles were rapidly prepared by the microwave-assisted sol–gel reaction of zinc acetate dihydrate, which is an inorganic monomer, with distilled water in N,N-dimethylacetamide as a solvent. ZnO particles that were prepared from zinc acetate dihydrate by the sol–gel reaction were changed into ZnO nanowires after microwave irradiation.