Crystalline ZnO with an enhanced surface area obtained by nanocasting

The authors report the synthesis of nanoporous ZnO, which exhibits a periodically ordered, uniform pore system with crystalline pore walls. The crystalline structure is investigated by x-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and selected area electron diffraction. The large specific surface area and the uniformity of the pore system are confirmed by nitrogen physisorption. Raman spectroscopy along with low-temperature photoluminescence measurements confirms the high degree of crystallinity and gives insight into defects participating in the radiative recombination processes.