Amount Of Zinc Oxide Research Articles

A Study of the Influence of Zinc Oxide on Acid Resistance of Natural Rubber Composites

The natural rubber has good resistance for some acids such as hydrochloric acid. Therefore, natural rubber composites are used in the lining of acid containers. Acid resistance of the natural rubber improves by types and levels of additives such as zinc oxide level. This research focuses on the influence of traditional zinc oxide on the acid resistance of natural rubber composites against 37% (w/w) hydrochloric acid. Six rubber compounds were prepared with various levels of zinc oxide of (0, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8) phr (parts per hundred parts of rubber weight). This work includes tests of tensile properties, hardness (Shore A), compression set, tear resistance, and abrasion resistance. Test specimens of tensile properties and hardness immersed in hydrochloric acid for 70 hours at room temperature. After immersion, they dried and tested for determining acid resistance. The acid resistance of rubber composites increased by increasing the amount of zinc oxide and the best acid resistance of rubber composite was gotten at 5 phr of zinc oxide.

Optoelektronik Uygulamalar için Nb+5 Katkılı Çinko Borat Camların Sentezi ve Optik, Termal ve Yapısal Özelliklerinin Belirlenmesi

Bu çalışmada niyobyum pentaoksit (Nb2O5) katkılı yüksek oranda çinko oksit (ZnO) içeren çinko borat (ZnB) oksit camlar yüksek sıcaklıkta eritme tavlama yöntemi ile başarıyla sentezlenmiştir. Sentezlenen camlara ait yapısal karakterler diferansiyel taramalı kalorimetre (DSC) ve Fourier dönüşümlü kızılötesi spektroskopisi (FTIR) ile belirlenmiştir. DSC verilerine göre camsı geçiş (Tg), kristallenme (Tc), erime (Tm) sıcaklıkları ve termal kararlılıklar (T) belirlenerek Nb2O5 değişimiyle ilgisi açıklanmıştır. DSC verilerine göre Tg, Nb2O5 konsantrasyonunun artışıyla 560oC’den 555oC’ye; Tc, 681oC’den 657oC’ye düşmüştür. Sentezlenen cam numunelerin termal kararlılığı ise Nb2O5 artışıyla 121oC’den 102oC’ye düşmüştür. FTIR verilerine göre borun ve çinkonun yapısal birimleri açıklanmıştır. Borun cam matrisini BO3, BO4 ve borok-sol halka yapısal birimleriyle oluşturduğu, çinkonun ise cam matrisine tetrahedral ZnO4 ve oktahedral ZnO6 yapısal birimleri ile katkıda bulunduğu, niobyumun yapıda düzenleyici görev üstlendiği belirlenmiş-tir. Verilerin değerlendirilmesi sonucunda niyobyumun cam ağında oktahedral NbO6 biriminde bulunduğu gözlenmiştir. Nb2O5’in en belirgin biçimde değiştirdiği özelliklerin başında optik özellikler gelmektedir. Direkt ve indirekt optik bant aralığı, Urbach enerjisi, kırılma indisi üzerinde çalışılmış, geçirgenlik spekt-rumda çok net olmayan kaymalar gözlenmiştir. Optik bant aralığı Nb2O5 artışıyla azaldığı, Urbach enerjisi-nin arttığı belirlenmiştir. Sentezlenen numunelere ait yoğunluk, molar hacim ayrıca incelenmiş ve Nb2O5 konsantrasyonundaki artışın yoğunluk ve molar hacim değerlerini belirgin bir biçimde arttırdığı görülmüştür.

Optimization of ZnO Nanorods Growth on Polyetheresulfone Electrospun Mats to Promote Antibacterial Properties.

Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods grown by chemical bath deposition (CBD) on the surface of polyetheresulfone (PES) electrospun fibers confer antimicrobial properties to the obtained hybrid inorganic–polymeric PES/ZnO mats. In particular, a decrement of bacteria colony forming units (CFU) is observed for both negative (Escherichia coli) and positive (Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis) Grams. Since antimicrobial action is strictly related to the quantity of ZnO present on surface, a CBD process optimization is performed to achieve the best results in terms of coverage uniformity and reproducibility. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) provide morphological and compositional analysis of PES/ZnO mats while thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) is useful to assess the best process conditions to guarantee the higher amount of ZnO with respect to PES scaffold. Biocidal action is associated to Zn2+ ion leaching in solution, easily indicated by UV–Vis measurement of metallation of free porphyrin layers deposited on glass.

A novel zinc oxide eugenol modified by polyhexamethylene biguanide: Physical and antimicrobial properties.

This study was to prepare and screen a novel root canal sealing agent modified by polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB) that was in accordance with the ISO 6876:2001 standard and to study its physical and antimicrobial properties. The modified sealers were produced by mixing a certain amount of zinc oxide with eugenol containing different concentrations of PHMB (0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6 and 0.8%) at a ratio of 1:1 (w/v). The setting time, flow, film thickness, solubility and dimensional change after solidifying were assessed to screen out the modified sealing agents that the physical properties met the mentioned standards. The modified direct contact test (DCT) was used to evaluate the antimicrobial activity against Enterococcus faecalis. The results suggested that when the concentrations of PHMB were 0.05, 0.1 and 0.2%, the modified root canal sealers showed the best performance in physical and antimicrobial properties.

Transparent ZnO-coated polydimethylsiloxane-based material for photocatalytic purification applications

We describe production and photocatalytic properties of a material based on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) as a carrier substrate coated with microparticles of zinc oxide (ZnO). The ZnO microparticles are fabricated by our original hydrothermal method and intentionally have a defect structure. According to our understanding, this peculiar defect structure contributes to the greatly enhanced photocatalytic properties of the ZnO material. The resulting photocatalyst demonstrates high activity under visible light (410 nm) in the process of phenol degradation in water solution, while generally ZnO is inactive below the UV range. In addition, we compare the photocatalytic activity of our ZnO/PDMS composite to that of the same ZnO powder suspension in a similar setup. We find that the same activity is achieved by three orders of magnitude smaller amount of ZnO in our composite compared to the powder suspension. The ZnO/PDMS interface exhibits sufficiently strong bonding for stable operation that is ensured during material production. The obtained photocatalytic material preserves the transparency of PDMS due to the low amount of attached ZnO (about 0.1% by mass). The transparency of the photocatalytic ZnO/PDMS material enables easy performance upgrades by constructing multilayer or manifold fluid treatment devices.

Fate Determination of ZnO in Commercial Foods and Human Intestinal Cells.

(1) Background: Zinc oxide (ZnO) particles are widely used as zinc (Zn) fortifiers, because Zn is essential for various cellular functions. Nanotechnology developments may lead to production of nano-sized ZnO, although nanoparticles (NPs) are not intended to be used as food additives. Current regulations do not specify the size distribution of NPs. Moreover, ZnO is easily dissolved into Zn ions under acidic conditions. However, the fate of ZnO in commercial foods or during intestinal transit is still poorly understood. (2) Methods: We established surfactant-based cloud point extraction (CPE) for ZnO NP detection as intact particle forms using pristine ZnO-NP-spiked powdered or liquid foods. The fate determination and dissolution characterization of ZnO were carried out in commercial foods and human intestinal cells using in vitro intestinal transport and ex vivo small intestine absorption models. (3) Results: The results demonstrated that the CPE can effectively separate ZnO particles and Zn ions in food matrices and cells. The major fate of ZnO in powdered foods was in particle form, in contrast to its ionic fate in liquid beverages. The fate of ZnO was closely related to the extent of its dissolution in food or biomatrices. ZnO NPs were internalized into cells in both particle and ion form, but dissolved into ions with time, probably forming a Zn–ligand complex. ZnO was transported through intestinal barriers and absorbed in the small intestine primarily as Zn ions, but a small amount of ZnO was absorbed as particles. (4) Conclusion: The fate of ZnO is highly dependent on food matrix type, showing particle and ionic fates in powdered foods and liquid beverages, respectively. The major intracellular and intestinal absorption fates of ZnO NPs were Zn ions, but a small portion of ZnO particle fate was also observed after intestinal transit. These findings suggest that the toxicity of ZnO is mainly related to the Zn ion, but potential toxicity resulting from ZnO particles cannot be completely excluded.

Ethanol conversion into 1,3-butadiene over Zn[sbnd]Zr mixed oxide catalysts supported on ordered mesoporous materials

In order to increase 1,3-BD yield, ordered mesoporous materials (OMMs) was synthesized and used as supporting materials of heterogeneous catalysts for ethanol conversion into 1,3-BD. To make acidic and basic sites acting as active sites on the surface of catalysts, a moderate (5 wt%) amount of zinc oxide (ZnO) and zirconium oxide (ZrO2) were impregnated on as-prepared various supporting materials at a time. Prepared catalysts showed different acid-base properties according to used supporting materials. The ordered mesoporous silicas (OMSs) based catalysts were proven to exhibit higher ethanol conversions and 1,3-BD selectivities because they have not only adequate number and strength of acidic sites and basic sites but also very regular mesoporous structure. Especially ZnO-ZrO2/KIT-6 revealed a higher 1,3-BD selectivity above 54.0% at ethanol conversion of 82.5% at 400 °C. On the other hand, the selectivity of diethylether (DEE) was grown to over 68% in the case of ordered mesoporous alumina (OMA) based catalyst for example ZnO-ZrO2/OMA catalyst with a higher ethanol conversion above 80% at the same temperature. A similar type of catalyst with the ZnO-ZrO2/KIT-6, ZnO-ZrO2/a-SiO2 exhibited relatively low ethanol conversion and selectivity toward 1,3-BD. Through these results, it was confirmed that adequate number and strength of strong acidic and basic sites are key factors for full conversion of ethanol to 1,3-BD with well-developed ordered mesoporous structure.

Influence of ZnO Nanoparticles on Mechanical Properties and Photocatalytic Activity of Self-cleaning ZnO-Based Geopolymer Paste

The influence of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles on the mechanical properties and photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) of ZnO-based geopolymer material was investigated under the illumination of ultraviolet (UV) radiations. In this work, ZnO-based geopolymer paste was manufactured using class F fly ash (FA) and ZnO nanoparticles powders with different mass percentages (0, 2.5, 5.0, 7.5 and 10 wt%). The FA-ZnO dry mix was activated by alkaline activator solution made from sodium silicate and sodium hydroxide with a ratio of 2.5. The mechanical properties were investigated by performing a compressive strength test at 28 days. The photocatalytic activity of ZnO nanoparticles was evaluated by measuring the photodegradation level of methylene blue under sunlight rays. The results showed a substantial influence of ZnO on the compressive strength, which decreased with the increase of ZnO amounts ranging from 2.5 to 7.5 wt% then a slightly increased at 10 wt% of ZnO. The addition of ZnO nanoparticles to a geopolymeric material showed a satisfactory efficiency of photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue after 150 min of exposure to sunlight. Phase analysis revealed that the addition of ZnO nanoparticles in the geopolymeric system develops a new ZnO crystalline phases.

Addition of ZnO nanoparticles on waste rice husk as potential host material for red-emitting phosphor

In this research, influence of zinc oxide (ZnO) addition in silica matrix to produce zinc silicate glass system (ZnO–SiO2) derived from white rice husk ash (WRHA) have been investigated via solid state method. The 90 wt percentage (wt.%) of silica content in WRHA has been proved by X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF). Hence, the compositions of (ZnOx–WRHA1-x) glass system were varied by x = 0.50, 0.55, 0.60, 0.65 and 0.70 wt% to study their structural and optical behaviors. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns revealed that with the addition of ZnO in the silica matrix, the broad halo peaks became weaker and caused a few crystalline peaks to appear. Meanwhile, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) revealed that absorption bands related to SiO4 unit group are weakened as amount of ZnO increased. This is due to the increase of non-bridging oxygen's (NBO's) formation in the glass structure which also affects the absorbance measurement by ultra violet visible spectroscopy (UV–Vis) to be shifted towards higher in wavelength as the composition of ZnO increases. Lattice distortion due to NBO's formation had decreased the band gap values from 4.28 eV to 3.95 eV. Overall, 60:40 ratio of ZnO against WRHA was selected as the best ratio to produce zinc silicate (Zn2SiO4) glass ceramics. Lastly, the characterization of europium (Eu3+) doped Zn2SiO4 glass ceramics with subject to sintering temperature also has been studied to prove that this material can be a great potential host matrix for red-emitting phosphor.

Effect of differing amounts of zinc oxide supplementation on the antioxidant status and zinc metabolism in newborn dairy calves

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of various amounts of zinc oxide (ZnO) supplementation on growth performance, incidence of diarrhea, micronutrient contents in feces and serum, antioxidant indicators and the concentrations of key enzymes and proteins involved in zinc metabolism in dairy calves. Forty newborn Holstein dairy calves were assigned to one of five groups according to a randomized complete block design: a control group (without zinc supplementation), or groups that received ZnO supplementation at 25.79, 51.58, 103.16, and 154.74 mg/d, yielding an amount of zinc consumption of 20 (Zn-20), 40 (Zn-40), 80 (Zn-80), and 120 (Zn-120) mg/d, respectively, during the experimental period. The experiment lasted for 14 days, and blood and fecal samples were collected at the end of the trial. Supplementation with differing amounts of ZnO did not influence the growth performance or incidence of diarrhea of the calves (P > 0.05). However, the concentrations of fecal zinc and iron linearly increased with the amount of ZnO supplementation (P < 0.01). Compared with the control group, fecal zinc content was greater when calves were supplemented with zinc at concentrations of 40 and 120 mg/d, but the iron content was greater in the Zn-120 group than in the other four groups (P < 0.05). The amount of zinc supplementation did not affect the serum concentrations of micronutrients, including calcium, copper, iron, magnesium and phosphorus, in the newborn calves (P > 0.05). While the serum zinc concentration increased quadratically as the amount of supplementation increased, peaking with 80 mg zinc/d supplementation (P < 0.05). Increasing doses of ZnO supplementation linearly elevated the concentrations of metallothionein and superoxide dismutase (P < 0.01), and quadratically enhanced that of alkaline phosphatase (P < 0.05), but linearly reduced that of malondialdehyde in serum (P < 0.05). This study demonstrates that dietary ZnO supplementation to yield 80 mg zinc/d improves zinc metabolism and antioxidant status of newborn calves during their early life.

Nanostructured zinc oxide on silica surface: Preparation, physicochemical characterization and antimicrobial activity.

Zinc oxide nanoparticles were synthesized using two silica supports largely used in pharmaceutical field as excipients, Cab-O-Sil-H5 and Syloid 244 FP characterized by high surface area and different porosity. In order to evaluate the effects of different silica on nanoparticle chemical physical properties, composites (ZnO-SiO2) containing different amounts of ZnO nanoparticles were obtained and characterized by X-ray Powder Diffraction (XRPD), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Attenuated Transmission Reflectance (ATR), UV-vis spectroscopy and finally Photoluminescence (PL). Composites showed the presence of quite uniformly distributed zinc nanostructures on the silica surface with size in the range of 30-50 nm with an estimated specific surface area ranged from ca. 20 to 70 m2/g. The formation of a Zn-O-Si interface in ZnO-SiO2 was observed as well. Photoluminescence studies revealed that ZnO-SiO2 samples based on Cab-O-Sil present a higher contribution of oxygen vacancies per unit volume. Finally, the resulting composites were tested for antibacterial and antifungal activities. Whereas silica supports did not show any antibacterial and antifungal activities, most of the prepared composites, both with Cab-O-Sil-5H and Syloid 244 FP supports, resulted active against both bacteria and fungi. In particular the contingency analysis showed that the amount of zinc oxide in the composites was partly related to MIC results in bacteria (p = 0.059), whereas it showed an interesting p = 0.022 in yeast in the case of low amount of ZnO (10%). Thus, the described ZnO-SiO2 composites can be proposed for the preparation of both pharmaceutical formulations and medical disposals with antibacterial and antifungal activities.

A Study of the Effect of Nano Zinc Oxide on Cure Characteristics and Mechanical Properties of Rubber Composites

This study investigates the effect of nano zinc oxide on cure characteristics and mechanical properties of natural rubber composites in comparison with the effect of conventional zinc oxide. Six rubber compounds were prepared with nano zinc oxide (particle size = (10-30) nm and surface area = (30-60) m2/g) and levels of (0,0.4,0.8,1.2,1.6,2) phr (parts per hundred parts of rubber weight). Six rubber compounds were prepared with conventional zinc oxide levels of (0,2,4,5,6,8) phr. The cure rate index was improved by 48.29% and torque difference was improved by 4.77%. The tensile strength was improved by 7.37% and the modulus at 300% was improved by 3.27%, while the hardness was decreased by 5.73%. The using of nano zinc oxide instead of conventional zinc oxide reduced the amount of zinc oxide inside rubber composites by 75%.

Removal of hexavalent chromium by electrospun PAN/GO decorated ZnO

A novel composite nanofibers material have fabricated by using electrospinning technique followed by chemical cross-linking with zinc oxide (ZnO). The surface sensitization and morphology changes of the fabricated composite nanofibers were studied by using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The effect of operating parameters includes the amount of ZnO, initial solution PH, and hexavalent chromium concentration on adsorption were investigated. The maximum adsorption capacity was found to be 690 mg/g at pH 6, which is much higher than most of the reported adsorbents. The adsorption equilibrium reached within 25 and 180 min as the initial solution concentration increased from 10 to 300 mg/L, and the data fitted well using nonlinear pseudo first order model with determination coefficient (R2) in between 0.97 and 0.99. Adsorption isotherms correlate the data on equilibrium adsorption with different mathematical models to describe the behaviour of an adsorption process and provide valuable information for optimizing the design of an adsorption system.

Zinc containing bioactive glasses with ultra-high crystallization temperature, good biological performance and antibacterial effects.

Novel bioactive glasses with different amount of zinc oxide (ZnO), namely 2, 3.8 and 5 mol%, were designed, produced by a melt-quenching route and investigated in terms of biological performance. Proper amounts of ZnO were added to a previously developed bioactive glass containing strontium and magnesium, characterized by an ultra-high crystallization temperature. Thus, the aim of the work was to obtain a bioactive glass with high crystallization temperature in view of an eventual thermal treatment, as well as antibacterial properties (due to the antimicrobial effect of zinc, as reported in the literature). Bioactivity was investigated by immersion in Simulated Body Fluid (SBF), which is a commonly used protocol to evaluate samples' bioactivity in vitro. Additionally, in order to exclude the possible cytotoxicity of Zn containing bioactive glasses, a biological investigation using MLO-Y4 cells was carried out, both by direct (NR uptake) and indirect (MTT) contact tests. Finally, the antibacterial effects of the produced bioactive glasses against Staphylococcus epidermidis (Gram-positive), Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli (both Gram-negative) were investigated.

New gutta percha composite with high thermal conductivity and low shear viscosity contributed by the bridging fillers containing ZnO and CNTs

Gutta percha (GP) point is typically used as the filling material during the root canal therapy, as its malleable, inert, and biocompatible properties. However, due to its low thermal conductivity (TC) and high shear viscosity, the vimineous GP point is difficult to melt and to flow into the root canal. In this study, a new GP composite with high TC and low shear viscosity is prepared by mixing a large amount of zinc oxide (ZnO) fillers bridged by a small quantity of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) (GP/ZnO@CNTs). Compared with the GP composite filled by ZnO alone (450phr), the TC of GP composite increases by 75.6% with 400phr ZnO and 50phr CNTs. Moreover, the TC and shear viscosity of GP composite containing 400phr ZnO and 20phr CNTs are 9.3% more and 4.5% less than those of a common commercial GP point (Bio-gutta percha (BP) point), respectively. The in vitro experiments confirm that the GP/ZnO@CNTs possesses the large filling depth of lateral canal, which is 9.0% longer than that of BP point at position WL-3. The cytotoxicity of the new GP composite extracts is grade 0–1, indicating that the material is qualified to prepare the GP point.

Photocatalytic effect of zinc oxide and magnetite entrapped calcium alginate beads for azo dye and hexavalent chromium removal from solutions

In this study, the semiconductor powder zinc oxide (ZnO) and magnetite (Fe3O4) powder were either separately or together entrapped in calcium alginate (Ca-Alg) beads to form hybrid photocatalyst. The synergic effect of hybrid ZnO/Fe3O4/Ca-Alg beads was investigated for both photocatalytic oxidation of azo dye Reactive Red 180 (RR 180) and photoreduction of hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) in aqueous solutions. The effect of ZnO and Fe3O4 powder amount in Ca-Alg beads, bead loading, and solution pH were systematically evaluated. A maximum (100%) RR180 decolorization (25 mg/L initial dye concentration) and 15.5% Cr(VI) photoreduction (10 mg/L initial Cr(VI) concentration) were obtained by ZnO/Ca-Alg beads (with 15% ZnO powder in Ca-Alg) at 20 g/L bead loading and pH:7.0 in 180 min. However, at the same initial dye and Cr(VI) concentration, 55.2% RR 180 decolorization and 85.4% Cr(VI) reduction were attained by Fe3O4/Ca-Alg beads (with 15% powder in Ca-Alg) at 20 g/L bead loading and pH:4.0 in 180 min. Meanwhile using ZnO/Fe3O4/Ca-Alg beads (with 15% each powder in Ca-Alg) at 20 g/L bead loading; 100% RR180 decolorization at pH:10 in 60 min and 87.2% Cr(VI) photoreduction at pH:4.0 in 180 min were achieved. Hybrid ZnO/Fe3O4/Ca-Alg beads reusability was also tested during 10 cycles and hybrid beads showed good stability for removal of azo dye. Manufactured beads were characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy/Energy-Dispersive X-Ray (SEM/EDX), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD).

Morphology Tuning of ZnO/P3HT/P3HT- b-PEO Hybrid Films Deposited via Spray or Spin Coating.

Hybrid films of zinc oxide (ZnO) and poly(3-hexylthiophen-2,5-diyl) (P3HT) show promising characteristics for application in hybrid bulk-heterojunction solar cells (HBSCs). However, the incompatibility of ZnO and P3HT may lead to a reduced interface area, thus reducing the probability of exciton separation and consequently lowering solar cell efficiencies. Here, a diblock copolymer P3HT- b-poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) is introduced to improve the interface between ZnO and P3HT. ZnO is synthesized via a block copolymer assisted sol-gel approach, and the used zinc precursor is directly incorporated into the PEO blocks. Thus, the possibility of aggregation is reduced for both the inorganic and the organic components, and a good intermixing is ascertained. Two deposition methods, namely, spray and spin coating, are compared with respect to the resulting film structure, which is investigated with scanning electron microscopy and time-of-flight grazing-incidence small-angle neutron scattering measurements. Both the surface and inner morphologies reveal that the spin coated samples possess smaller and less diverse domain sizes than the sprayed films. Due to the advantage of spray coating in large-scale production, the morphology of the sprayed samples is tailored more meticulously by changing the weight fraction of ZnO in the films. The sprayed hybrid films show smaller domains and less aggregation with decreasing the amount of ZnO. This reveals that both the deposition method and composition of the ZnO/P3HT/P3HT- b-PEO hybrid films play an important role for tailoring the film morphology and thus for improving the performance of HBSCs in future application.

ZnO–Bentonite nanocomposite: an efficient catalyst for discharge of dyes, phenol and Cr(VI) from water

The present work focused on application of ZnO-NPs@bentonite, as a catalyst, for disposal of different pollutants such as dyes, phenol compounds and Cr(VI) ions from water. The prepared ZnO–bentonite nanocomposite was characterized by using FT-IR, X-ray powder diffraction, and Scanning electron microscopy analysis. The results showed that the amount of zinc oxide influenced the catalytic performance of ZnO–bentonite nanocomposite. Small amounts of zinc oxide on bentonite have a positive effect whereas increase in weight ratios has a negative effect.

Enhanced electroactive β-phase formation and dielectric properties of piezoelectric electrospun nanofibers by ZnO nanoparticles

Abstract This research points out to enhance piezoelectric β-phase and dielectric constant of Poly(vinylidenefluoride-hexafluoropropylene) P(VDF-HFP)/Zinc Oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles at various concentrations (0-20 wt %). The nanocomposite fibers were prepared by an electrospinning technique. It can enhance to transform nonpolar α-phase to electroactive β-phase in pure P(VDF -HFP) polymer. The percentage β-phase fraction in crystalline region of nanocomposite fibers increased with the amount of ZnO. This study demonstrates that the electrospinning process and adding the ZnO filler can induce not only high β-phase orientation but also excellent in the ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties. These materials can be applied to energy scavenging, textile sensors and nanogenerators.

Decomposition of Anthraquinone Vat Yellow 1 Using Zinc Oxide Photocatalyst

Decomposition of anthraquinone Vat Yellow 1 in an aqueous solution was investigated for this study. Heterogeneous photocatalysis using zinc oxide photocatalyst in aqueous solution under UV and solar irradiation was proposed to decompose anthraquinone Vat Yellow 1. Decomposition of the dye was effective under both irradiations using the zinc oxide photocatalyst. The effects of zinc oxide dose and dye concentration on the decomposition of Vat Yellow 1 under UV irradiation were investigated to assess the optimum conditions. Decomposition efficiency of Vat Yellow 1 dye increased as zinc oxide amount increased and decreased as the initial dye concentration increased. The decomposition kinetics was established to follow first-order kinetics. A study on the presence of inorganic additives such as sodium carbonate (Na2CO3) and sodium chloride (NaCl) was found to decrease the decomposition.