Synthesis of ZnO nanoarrays on carbon fibers using combined atomic layer deposition and hydrothermal methods

The paper presents the synthesis and characterization of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoarrays on carbon fiber fabrics using the combined atomic layer deposition (ALD) and hydrothermal methods. A conformal ZnO seed layer was first synthesized using the ALD method on carbon fiber surfaces, then characterized by field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM). ZnO nanoarrays were grown on the carbon fibers using the hydrothermal method. The morphology of ZnO nanoarrays in the form of nanowires and nanorods was controlled by adjusting hydrothermal synthesis parameters, including the concentration of chemical reagents and solution temperature. The FESEM characterization showed that the synthesized ZnO nanowires and nanorods had a wurtzite structure and uniformity distributed on the surface of carbon fibers. The length to diameter ratios of the ZnO nanoarrays were controlled between 44 and 270. The thermogravimetric analysis tests showed that the growth of ZnO nanoarrays added about 10% additional weight to the carbon fibers.