Abstract
It is well known that energetic demand and environmental pollution are strictly connected; the side products of vehicle and industrial exhausts are considered extremely dangerous for both human and environmental health. In the last years, the possibility to simultaneously photo-degrade water dissolved pollutants by means of ZnO nanostructures and to use their piezoelectric features to enhance the photo-degradation process has been investigated. In the present contribution, an easy and low-cost wet approach to synthetize hexagonal elongated ZnO microstructures in the wurtzite phase was developed. ZnO performances as photo-catalysts, under UV-light irradiation, were confirmed on water dissolved methylene blue dye. Piezoelectric responses of the synthetized ZnO microstructures were evaluated, as well, by depositing them into films onto flexible substrates, and a home-made layout was developed, in order to stimulate the ZnO microstructures deposited on solid supports by means of mechanical stress and UV photons, simultaneously. A relevant increment of the photo-degradation efficiency was observed when the piezopotential was applied, proposing the present approach as a completely eco-friendly tool, able to use renewable energy sources to degrade water solved pollutants.
Highlights
Increasing energetic request has pushed many countries to invest in the development of technologies able to exploit energetic sources that are alternatives to fossil fuels [1,2]
The use of a mildcapping thermal treatment a strong advantage, because it avoids the degradation of such the citrate treatment represents a strong advantage, because it avoids the degradation of the citrate capping ligand, which coordinates the surface of the ZnO microstructures, allowing post-synthesis dispersion ligand, which the surface of the microstructures, allowing [37]
For the sake of clarity, the degradation efficiency proposed in the present proof of concept is not high, even though it has to be stressed that the experimental conditions during the piezo-photo experiments are limiting: in a common photo-degradation experiment, the photocatalyst is used as a suspension in the aqueous solution of the dye and the colloidal suspension is continuously stirred
Summary
Increasing energetic request has pushed many countries to invest in the development of technologies able to exploit energetic sources that are alternatives to fossil fuels [1,2]. The effects on human and environmental health induced by the waste products of the fossil fuels combustion are the cause of criticisms, such as air pollution and global warming. Photovoltaic, wind, hydroelectric and geothermic energy are widely used to supply energy for both domestic and industrial needs. Another class of energy harvesting devices, more devoted to supply energy for micro-power devices, comprises systems that need low power [3], such as watches, wearable wrists [4,5] or body sensors [6]. A intriguing subset of this class of devices is represented by the devices which are able to obtain energy from the human body and daily life movements [7,8].
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