Although many materials synthesis efforts aspire to structural and compositional perfection, there are materials whose current scientific and technological appeal is intimately related to the types of defects and impurities that they can accommodate. For example, ZnO is a leading candidate for use in the transparent transistors that could enable brighter, more energy-efficient video displays. However, optimizing the performance of ZnO has challenged the scientific community because of the kinds of imperfections that occur naturally within this material. These defect-sensitive properties present an urgent need – as well as a golden opportunity – to develop general and versatile strategies for controlling imperfections to create economical, higher performance thin film materials. Addressing this need, I will highlight our recent contributions toward understanding the role that imperfections play in tailoring the growth and performance of metal oxide materials, using ZnO-based interfaces as a case study. Our aqueous electrochemical synthesis methods provide reliable control of thin films characteristics such as texture, morphology, carrier concentration, and electrical conduction, even for polycrystalline films on polycrystalline substrates.
