Formation of Hollow Zinc Oxide by Oxidation and Subsequent Thermal Treatment

The formation of hollow zinc oxide has been studied by oxidation and subsequent thermal treatment of nanometer-sized zinc particles using in-situ TEM. The zinc particles produced under UHV condition were exposed to air at room temperature for 0.6 ks, which resulted in the formation of oxide layer with thickness of 3 nm. Subsequent heating inside UHV chamber of TEM induced the evaporation of the inner zinc, which resulted in the formation of hollow zinc oxide. The produced hollow zinc oxide had the wurtzite structure. Based upon the vapor pressure of the inner zinc, it seems reasonable to consider that the internal zinc vapor leaks away through the interface between the oxide layer and the amorphous carbon film used as a supporting substrate.