Recent progress in synthesis of plate-like ZnO and its applications: A review

Abstract

Zinc oxide (ZnO) is one of the most versatile semiconductors, and one-dimensional (1D) ZnO nanostructures have attracted significant interest for use in ultraviolet (UV) lasers, photochemical sensors, and photocatalysts, among other applications. It is known that 1D ZnO nanowires can be fabricated readily owing to the anisotropic growth of ZnO along the [0001] direction. However, this type of growth results in a decrease in the surface area of the (0001) plane, which plays a vital role not only in UV lasing but also in the photocatalytic process. Thus, we attempted to synthesize ZnO crystals with an increased polar surface area by controlling the crystal growth process. The purpose of this review is to propose a simple route for the synthesis of plate-like ZnO crystals with highly enhanced polar surfaces and to explore their feasibility for use in UV lasers as well as as a photocatalyst and antibacterial agent. In addition, we highlight the recent progress made in the pilot-scale synthesis of plate-like ZnO crystals for industrial applications.