METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING RARE EARTH METAL-DOPED ZINC OXIDE NANORODES AND THE PRODUCTS THEREOF

Abstract

This invention relates to a method for making nanorod-structured rare earth metal doped zinc oxide photoanodes (ZnO / LTJ Nanorods) made through a one-step hydrothermal technique using rare earth metal salts as doping agents. This method consists of making ZnO seeds on a glass substrate by using a three-electrode system electrodeposition technique using a chronoamperometric method using a zinc nitrate hexahydrate (SNH) solution precursor and Na2SO4 electrolyte followed by an annealing process, growing ZnO by hydrothermal heating at a temperature of 90-100°C for 3-9 hours in SNH, HMTA, and LTJ salt colloids, and ending with drying at a temperature of 60-70°C for 1-2 hours. The result of this invention is a simple synthesis method that can be used to make REE-doped ZnO to have a hexagonal wurtzite crystal structure in the form of nanorods with high light absorption capability and a band gap energy of 3.10-3.14 eV.LTJ-doped ZnO has better photoelectrochemical properties compared to undoped LTJ-doped ZnO.