Understanding and Controlling the Morphology of ZnO Crystallites under Hydrothermal Conditions

Abstract The morphological features of ZnO crystallites influenced by solution basicity under hydrothermal conditions have been studied from the standpoint of the incorporation of the growth units. A crystal chemistry approach is developed to understand and thus to control a desirable morphology of the crystallites. The effects of the additive OH − on the crystal morphology of ZnO crystallites are qualitatively but satisfactorily explained by a mechanism considering two aspects: (1) solution structures and the structural forms of growth units under a certain growth condition, i.e. the interactions between the solvent molecules and the growth units; and (2) the influence of the solvent molecules or additives on growth interfaces, particularly on two polar faces of ZnO crystallites in terms of the inhibition or promotion of the incorporation of various growth units depending on the solution basicity. Since the incorporation rates of the growth units are different on positive and negative polar faces, the relative growth rates of these faces are different and thus lead to the habit modifications. The approach clearly demonstrates that the hindrance of crystal growth is a consequence of surface adsorption processes.