Hydrothermal synthesis and properties of hierarchical ZnO and Eu-doped ZnO 3D structures

Zinc oxide is a very interesting material for several technological applications. The properties of ZnO materials have been investigated and the influence of the 3D structure has been evaluated. Controlling experimental parameters is possible to obtain branched structures, which results in the preparation of materials presenting high surface area. Herein, we present a hydrothermal procedure to synthesize flower-like ZnO materials. In this work, the introduction of a rare earth metal in the ZnO structure resulted in the formation of a hierarchical Eu-doped ZnO material presenting branched morphology. SEM and TEM images, Raman spectroscopy and PL measurements were used to characterize undoped and Eu-doped ZnO 3D structures.