Fluorine-ion-mediated electrodeposition of rhombus-like ZnFOH nanorod arrays: An intermediate route to novel ZnO nanoarchitectures

Novel rhombus-like ZnO nanorod (NR) arrays were achieved via a facile two-step synthesis strategy based on first a low-temperature aqueous electrodeposition of vertically aligned rhombic ZnFOH NR arrays in the presence of fluoride and second a pyrolysis of ZnFOH intermediate into ZnO with the same morphology. The fluorine-ion-mediated electrodeposition mechanism of ZnFOH was confirmed for the first time, and the proposed formation process that the rhombus-like ZnO NRs characterized by mesoporous structure derived from the electrodeposited ZnFOH intermediate was corroborated by systematic structural characterization of the as-prepared products. A dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) based on the rhombus-like ZnO NR arrays with a larger surface roughness factor was assembled, and a higher conversion efficiency of 0.69% was attained in comparison to 0.47% of the DSSC based on the hexagon-like ZnO NR arrays electrodeposited in the absence of fluoride. Further, we demonstrate that the unique two-step synthesis strategy also possessed the capability of constructing complex nanoarchitectures with 1D rhombus-like ZnO NRs as the building blocks.