Structural, morphological, and optical characterisation of ZnO nanostructures fabricated by electrochemical deposition.

The controlled growth of oriented ZnO nanostructures is desirable for their varied applications. In this study, an electrochemical technique is used for deposition of ZnO. The large area morphology shows sheet-like structures oriented perpendicular to the substrate. X-ray diffraction studies show that the crystallinity and purity of electrodeposited ZnO improved by using a moderate thermal annealing. TEM shows randomly oriented rod-like structures. The Raman spectra further confirm the crystallinity of the films. The photoluminescence spectra show emission peaks in the blue-green visible region. Furthermore, we also investigate the potential of the electrochemically-formed ZnO nanostructures as a suitable template for electrochemical deposition of polypyrrole (Ppy).