Ionothermal synthesis of hierarchical ZnO nanostructures from ionic-liquid precursors

An ionothermal process was employed to synthesize the hierarchical structures of zinc oxide with diverse morphologies. The key to this synthesis methodology was the use of metal-containing ionic liquids that acted both as solvents and as metal precursors in the ionothermal process. The growth environment was highly homogeneous, allowing facile control over reaction conditions. The morphologies of zinc oxide were strongly dependent on the nature of the corresponding ionic-liquid precursors, providing unique methodologies to control growth conditions.