The effect of carboxylate ligands on zinc oxide crystal characteristics was investigated. Zinc oxide crystals were grown in aqueous solutions by pH controlled supersaturation.  Crystal dimensions were measured using optical micrographs.  In the absence of ligands, the median crystal length, width, and aspect ratio (length/width) were 2.9 �m, 0.6 �m, and 4.4 respectively.  Three ligands with 1, 2, and 3 carboxylate groups (glycolate, malate, and citrate) reduced the crystal aspect ratio distinctively.  As the number of carboxylate groups per molecule increased, the aspect ratio decreased. With a few exceptions, the width remained constant while the length decreased. At 20 �mol L-1, glycolate, malate, and citrate reduced the aspect ratio by 0%, 41%, and 75% respectively.  These trends suggest that carboxylate ligands bind to and inhibit growth on the axial face of the hexagonal prismatic crystals, while the number of carboxylate groups influences the selectivity ofthe ligand to the hexagonal face.

Effect of ligand molecular structure on zinc oxide crystal growth

239th National Meeting (2010)

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