ABSTRACT ZnO nanowires grown by chemical bath deposition have emerged as versatile building blocks for a wide range of functional devices, thanks to their unique electronic, optical, and piezoelectric properties. However, despite its relative simplicity to control the structural morphology and properties of ZnO nanowires, achieving precise control over their doping remains a significant challenge, while being highly critical to meet the requirements of the targeted functional devices. The present review provides a comprehensive analysis of the state‐of‐the‐art and scientific challenges associated with the residual and intentional doping processes of ZnO nanowires, including the role of native point defects, hydrogen‐related defects, and extrinsic dopants. The intentional incorporation processes of shallow donors (e.g., Al, Ga, In, Cl) and deep acceptors (e.g., Cu, Sb) are discussed in detail, along with the effects of transition metals (e.g., Cr, Co, Mn, Ni) and rare earth elements (e.g., Ce, Sm, Eu, Tb) on the structural and optoelectronic properties of ZnO nanowires. Additionally, the review highlights the background and latest advancements in ZnO nanowire‐based functional devices in the fields of electronics, optoelectronics, photovoltaics, piezoelectricity, photocatalysis, and chemical/biological sensing. The interplay between doping strategies and device performance is eventually emphasized, offering careful insights into the optimization of ZnO nanowires for next‐generation technologies.
Lausecker et al. (Sat,) studied this question.