title: Effect of surface capping with poly(vinyl alcohol) on the photocarrier relaxation of ZnO nanowires.
abstract: The effect of surface capping with poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) on the photocarrier relaxation of the aqueous chemically grown ZnO nanowires (NWs) has been investigated. The decay in the photocurrent during steady ultraviolet illumination due to the photocarrier relaxation has been reduced in the capped NWs, as evidenced from a decrease in the photocurrent only by 12% of its maximum value under steady illumination for 15 min and a decrease in the photocurrent by 49% of its maximum value during the same interval of time in the as-grown NWs. The surface modification is confirmed from the FESEM, HRTEM, and FTIR results. The photoluminescence spectrum shows an enhanced ultraviolet emission and a reduced defect-related emission in the capped ZnO NWs compared to bare ZnO.
authors.affiliation: Department of Solid State Physics, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Jadavpur, Kolkata 700032, India.
authors.forename: Ashok
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bera
authors.forename: Durga
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Basak
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption; D008027:Light; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission / Q000379:methods; D008956:Models, Chemical; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D053770:Nanowires / Q000737:chemistry*; D010777:Photochemistry / Q000379:methods*; D011142:Polyvinyl Alcohol / Q000737:chemistry*; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared / Q000379:methods; D013499:Surface Properties; D013997:Time Factors; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction; D015034:Zinc Oxide / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D011142:Polyvinyl Alcohol; D015034:Zinc Oxide