Surface optical phonons in cylindrical ZnO nanoparticles: Dielectric effect of outer medium

Abstract

Surface optical phonons in freestanding cylindrical ZnO nanoparticles surrounded by organic molecules have been theoretically investigated using a dielectric continuum model and experimentally with Raman spectrometry. From a theoretical point of view, we calculate surface optical phonons in the cases of cylindrical and planar surfaces of nanoparticles. We also investigate the dispersion of these modes regarding the dielectric constant of the outer medium. By modelling the organic shell of nanoparticles with a dielectric constant and based on experimental results of Raman spectrometry, we show that we observed a top surface mode of nanoparticles. © 2007 IOP Publishing Ltd.