Abstract
ZnO is a promising material applicable to transparent electrodes, sensors and photocatalysts because of its specific electric and optical properties. Morphological control of ZnO in the nanometer-scale is essentially important to obtain excellent performance in the variety of application fields. In this study, we prepared ZnO nanosheets from aqueous solutions containing zinc and phosphate ions. The extremely thin sheets of ca. 10 nm in thickness had a mosaic structure composed of small platelets of wurtzite-type crystals whose c axis arranged perpendicularly to the sheet surface. The selective adsorption of phosphate ions on the {001} planes of wurtzite-type crystals decreased the thickness and finally promoted the formation of the sheet morphology.
