Published online by Cambridge University Press: 31 January 2011
Adsorption behavior of eosinY on ZnO and its complex formation with Zn2+ were studied in detail, changing the Zn2+ concentration, temperature, and pH of mixed solutions. While eosinY undergoes typical Langmuir type adsorption when the solution contains only eosinY, co-presence of Zn2+ lead to a formation of multilayer of eosinY. Red precipitates of mixed aggregates were obtained when ZnCl2 was added to a concentrated eosinY solution. Aggregation was further promoted when the temperature was elevated. While increase of pH resulted in a decrease of monolayer adsorption of eosinY in the absence of Zn2+, it promoted the formation of mixed aggregates in its presence. These aggregation behaviors of eosinY reasonably explained the changes of nanostructures of the electrodeposited ZnO/eosinY hybrid thin films.