Low-temperature synthesis of ZnO-Bi 2 O 3 nanocomposite by sonochemical route

Sonochemical synthesis and optical property of palm-leaf-like ZnO-Bi 2 O 3 nanocomposite have been reported. The analysis of XRD approves that the nanocomposite material is ZnO-Bi 2 O 3 . The composition of the product has been analysed by XPS and it is concluded that the molecular ratio of Bi 2 O 3 :ZnO is 1:4.6. SEM images show that the morphology of the nanocomposite is stelliform dendrite. The sonication time appears to be a critical parameter for shape determination. Also, the presence of Bi 3+ is vital to the formation of the palm-leaf-like dentrites. Photoluminescence spectra at room temperature of the products show that the synthesised materials possess good optical properties. The mechanism of the dendrite growth has also been discussed.