Amount Of ZnO Research Articles

Evaluations of physical and mechanical properties, and photon attenuation characteristics on lithium-germanate glass containing ZnO

Among diverse glass types such as silicates, borates, or tellurites, germanate glasses (GG) possess great potential in different application areas. To make use of its benefits in radiation shielding applications, the glass compositions of (45-x)Li2O - 55GeO2- xZnO (x: 0, 10, 15, 20, and 25 mol%) were investigated. The intended glass series, LG-Zn0 to LG-Zn4, was explored by performing physical and optical calculations, mechanical strength estimations, and finally theoretical and simulations radiation shielding characteristics. According to the physical property calculations, ZnO insertion contributes to an increase in ρglass from 3.2434 to 4.1426 g cm−3, whereas causes a decrease in Vm from 21.89 to 20.24 cm3 mol−1. On the other hand, optical feature calculations revealed that the Eg values are decreasing as the ZnO content increases in the glass network, which in turn contributes to increasing the parameter n. In the perspective of mechanical strength estimations, the mechanical moduli can be enhanced owing to the contribution of higher ZnO amounts in the lithium-germanate glass system. On the other hand, with changing ZnO content (from 0 to 25 mol%), we found that the LAC values grow up from 181.410 cm−1 to 234.362 cm−1 at 15 keV, while the increase rate became from 0.349 cm−1 to 0.397 cm−1 at the energy of Co (0.347 MeV) as a result of radiation shielding studies. Based upon LAC findings, mass attenuation coefficient (MAC), effective atomic number (Zeff), and mean free path (MFP) parameters were successfully evaluated. All in all, this work clearly demonstrated that ZnO is a good option for improving the properties in lithium-germanate glass system.

Preparation and Optimization of Starch/Poly Vinyl Alcohol/ZnO Nanocomposite Films Applicable for Food Packaging

Pollution and destruction of the environment due to the accumulation of non-degradable plastics are some of the most important concerns in the world. A significant amount of this waste is related to the polymers used in food packaging. Therefore, experts in the food industry have been looking for suitable biodegradable alternatives to synthetic polymers. Preparing biocompatible and biodegradable films based on starch is a good choice. In this study, various factors affecting films of starch/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/containing ZnO nanoparticles such as the amount of starch, PVA, glycerol, and ZnO were evaluated by response surface methodology (RSM). Film formation by solvent casting method, mechanical properties, swelling, solubility, and water vapor permeability (WVP) were selected as responses of RSM. The results showed that hydrogen bonding interactions between polyvinyl alcohol and starch improved the film formation. The effect of glycerol and PVA content on the mechanical strength was contrary to each other. As the amount of PVA increased, the tensile strength first decreased and then increased. The value of WVP was for all Runs from 0 to 6.77 × 10− 8 g m− 1 s− 1 Pa− 1. Finally, films with high film formation, maximum tensile strength, and high elongation at break, minimum solubility, permeability, and swelling were optimized.

The Development of Polydimethysiloxane/ZnO–GO Antifouling Coatings

The development of antifouling coating for sensor is desirable because the biofilm can shorten sensor’s life and cause inaccurate reading. In this study, a facile one-pot reaction was used to synthesized ZnO–graphene oxide (GO) (ZnO–GO) nanocomposites. Different amount of ZnO–GO was incorporated in the polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) matrix respectively though a simple solution mixing method, in order to create PDMS/ZnO–GO nanocomposite (PZGO). The coating was obtained directly by spin coating of PZGO/tetrahydrofuran suspension. The hydrophobicity, surface roughness (Ra), surface free-energy (SFE) and nanoscale structure were investigated as antifouling factors. Antifouling tests were performed using two marine microorganisms, the cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. Strain PCC 7002 and the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum. PZGO0.2 (mass ratio of ZnO–GO to PDMS: 0.2 wt%) displayed excellent antifouling property with 8.5% of Synechococcus sp. Strain PCC 7002 biofilm coverage, while PZGO0.1 (mass ratio of ZnO–GO to PDMS: 0.1 wt%) showed 2.4% P. tricornutum biofilm coverage. The antifouling property of the synthesized PZGO nanocomposite can be attributed to its high Ra and hydrophobicity which was caused by the good dispersion of ZnO–GO in PDMS matrix. This study suggests a potential of PZGO nanocomposite for sensor’s antifouling coating, which could contribute to improve sensor’s durability relating to biofouling in future.Graphic

Effect of ZnO Addition on Effective Fracture Energy of Alumina-Magnesia Castable Refractory

Alumina-magnesia castable refractory is used for the inner wall of molten steel ladle. The main cause of damage to this refractory is thermal shock caused by a sudden temperature change when putting in and out molten steel. Therefore, there is a thermal shock damage resistance coefficient R'''' as a parameter that represents the resistance of refractory materials to thermal shock, and the evaluation of effective fracture energy is important for improving R''''. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of ZnO addition on the effective fracture energy of alumina-magnesia castable refractories. ZnO is reported to improve the mechanical properties of spinel (MgAl2O4). Samples containing 0 to 3 mass% ZnO were prepared, and the effective fracture energy, crystalline phase, microstructure, and apparent porosity were evaluated. The effective fracture energy increased with the increase of the amount of ZnO added. The apparent porosity shows a constant value regardless of the amount of ZnO added, and the promotion of spinel sintering and the increase of spinel amount by the solid solution of zinc oxide contributed to the improvement of the effective fracture energy.

Extended visible light driven photocatalytic hydrogen generation by electron induction from g-C3N4 nanosheets to ZnO through the proper heterojunction

Abstract The alarming energy crises has forced the scientific community to work for sustainable energy modules to meet energy requirements. As for this, ZnO/g-C3N4 nanocomposites with proper heterojunction were fabricated by coupling a proper amount of ZnO with 2D graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) nanosheets and the obtained nanocomposites were applied for photocatalytic hydrogen generation from water under visible light illumination (λ > 420 nm). The morphologies and the hydrogen generation performance of fabricated photocatalysts were characterized in detail. Results showed that the optimized 5ZnO/g-C3N4 nanocomposite produced 70 µmol hydrogen gas in 1 h compare to 8 µmol by pure g-C3N4 under identical illumination conditions in the presence of methanol without the addition of cocatalyst. The much improved photoactivities of the nanocomposites were attributed to the enhanced charge separation through the heterojunction as confirmed from photoluminescence study, capacity of the fabricated samples for •OH radical generation and steady state surface photovoltage spectroscopic (SS-SPS) measurements. We believe that this work would help to fabricate low cost and effective visible light driven photocatalyst for energy production.

Study on microstructure and its correlation with sheet resistance of Zn-Al metallized film

ABSTRACT Zn-Al film was prepared on biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) substrate via vacuum thermal evaporation. The microstructure and its correlation with sheet resistance of Zn-Al film were explored systematically. The results showed that the macromorphology of Zn-Al film was closely related to the surface topography of BOPP substrate. XRD and SEM analysis indicated that Zn-Al film displayed a columnar and strong textured structure of Zn (002). TEM results revealed that the film thickness was in the range of 20–25 nm, of which amorphous alumina was identified on/at the surface and interface, while Zn and a small amount of ZnO were detected in the middle. The amorphous alumina on the film surface prevented the further oxidation of Zn, and therefore helped to improve the stability of sheet resistance of the film. Nevertheless, the insulative alumina significantly decreased the film conductivity, which deteriorated the current handling ability of metallized film capacitors.

Zinc oxide with various surface characteristics and its role on mechanical properties, cure-characteristics, and morphological analysis of natural rubber/carbon black composites

Owing to the ecological concern about the ZnO release and its toxicity towards the marine environment leads to the minimization of ZnO amount in rubber compounding. The present study explores and optimizes the amount of various ZnOs used in rubber compounding. It is carried out by investigating the impact of various ZnOs such as conventional ZnO, active ZnO and nano ZnO on Natural Rubber matrix filled with Carbon Black filler. The whole study is conducted without any processing aid, and ZnOs are characterized by using SEM, TGA and XRD. The prepared composites are evaluated for their rheo-characteristics, physical properties and morphologies. The study concludes that 1.5 phr of nano ZnO and 3 phr of active ZnO offers equivalent performance to 5 phr conventional ZnO in the Natural Rubber matrix giving excellent properties with a reduction of about 70 and 40% usage of ZnO respectively in the formulation of elastomeric product.

Poly(acrylic acid)/gum arabic/ZnO semi-IPN hydrogels: synthesis, characterization and their optimizations by response surface methodology

Synthesis of novel semi-interpenetrating poly(acrylic acid) (PAA)/gum arabic (AG)/ZnO hydrogels by in situ free radical polymerization was optimized using response surface methodology (RSM). The reaction variables were the molar ratio of the cross-linking agent (X1), the weight percentage of gum arabic (AG) (X2) as the reaction medium, and the amount of ZnO (X3), each of which was considered at five levels. The evaluated responses in RSM based on the central composite design (CCD) were the formation of samples (Y1), swelling ratio (Y2), conversion (Y3), and percentage of networking (Y4). Zinc oxide particles (ZnO) were prepared through a cost-effective and safe method based on the mixing of zinc acetate solution, ammonia solution, and sodium hydroxide into a microwave oven. The synthesized ZnO particles and prepared semi-interpenetrating polymer network (semi-IPNs) were evaluated by energy dispersive X-ray analyzer (EDX) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), respectively. Synthesized samples based on RSM showed that hydrogels with less than 0.75 g of gum do not have suitable desirability. Also, the confirmation of the appropriate amount of cross-linking agent in hydrogels is between 10 and 16 (mol %), and more than this amount, the desirability of the responses decreases sharply. The results showed that increasing the amount of GA, as a biological macromolecule, significantly improves hydrogel formation, swelling rate, conversion, and networking of semi-IPNs which for the sample proposed by RSM were 1, 245%, 86%, and 94.5%, respectively.

Synthesis and characterization of micro-meso structure NaY zeolite in the presence of Nano-ZnO as a guest molecule

In this work, NaY zeolite/ZnO nanocomposites with different amounts of ZnO were prepared. The nanocomposites were characterized by different methods such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope, Energy-Dispersive X-ray analysis, Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) surface area (BET), NH3-TPD, Fluorescence microscopy and thermal gravimetric analysis. The results of BET confirmed the micro-meso structure of NaY zeolite in which low angle XRD shows that mesophase is not completely ordered in the composite. DRS result shows the decreasing band gap in the ZnO. In addition, Si/Al ratio decreasing to lower than two which increasing in the acidity confirmed by NH3-TPD. Therefore, can be said, a good zeolitic photocatalyst with high acidity and micro-meso structure was prepared in the mild condition, which was useful for degradation of the pollution in out coming works.

Highly active CuZn/SBA-15 catalyst for methanol dehydrogenation to methyl formate: Influence of ZnO promoter

• The catalytic performance of x CuZn/SBA-15 was dramatically superior to Cu/SBA-15. • The activity of x CuZn/SBA-15 in methanol dehydrogenation to MF was affected by ZnO amount. • The appropriate ZnO amount improved Cu dispersion and Cu 0 /(Cu 0 +Cu + ) ratio. • 10CuZn/SBA-15 exhibited most excellent activity along with favorable stability. Stable and efficient Cu/SBA-15 and x CuZn/SBA-15 ( x = 5, 10 and 15) in methanol dehydrogenation to methyl formate (MF) are prepared through a double-solvent impregnation (DI) method. Among all catalysts, 10CuZn/SBA-15 shows the highest catalytic performance with selectivity to MF about 88.1 % and methanol conversion of 31.1 %, which is attributed to the well-dispersed Cu particles and high ratio of Cu°/(Cu° + Cu + ). The proper amount of ZnO could improve dispersion of Cu because of its geometrical spacer, inhibiting growth of Cu particle, and the best dispersion is achieved in 10CuZn/SBA-15. Furthermore, the Cu°/(Cu° + Cu + ) ratio is greatly promoted with the assistance of ZnO, attributed to Cu-ZnO interaction, which reaches maxima of 53.3 % at a Cu/Zn mole ratio of 10. Specially, the optimized catalyst shows evident suitability at high temperature for methanol dehydrogenation reactions along with high level of conversion and selectivity for 100 h. Overall, our findings reveal that modification by the appropriate amount of ZnO in Cu-based catalyst has a positive impact on obtaining MF for the methanol dehydrogenation.

Characterization of Waste Sludge Pigment from Production of ZnCl2

This study is focused on the treatment of waste sludge from a zinc chloride production in order to prepare iron-rich pigments usable for a production of glazes. In galvanizing plants, yellow waste sludge containing significant amount of ZnO, Cl, and Fe2O3, is formed. This raw waste sludge cannot be used as a pigment in glaze. Therefore, three methods of treating this material were proposed: (a) washing with H2O, (b) calcination at 180 °C and washing by H2O, and (c) calcination at 900 °C and washing by H2O. These methods helped to reduce Zn and Cl content up to 97%. According to X-ray fluorescence analysis percentage of Fe2O3 increased from ~41% to ~98%. X-ray power diffraction analysis confirmed the formation of α-Fe2O3 (hematite) in the pigment prepared. Scanning electron microscopy with Energy dispersive X-ray analysis showed clusters of rounded particles, and also the change in size of particles after calcination was observed. Particle size, specific surface area, and density measurements together with thermogravimetric and differential thermal analyses were performed. Pigments prepared from the waste sludge were added to transparent glaze in amounts of 1, 5, 10, and 15 wt.%. Pigment-containing glazes were applied by spraying on fired ceramic tiles and then fired at 1060 °C. Color of glazes was determined by (Commission Internationale de l’Eclairage) CIE L*a*b* coordinates as colorless, light brown shades, brown-red, brown-yellow, and deep red-brown. Comparison with colors of glazes prepared using commercial pigments was also performed. Waste sludge can be used to prepare pigments and glazes containing pigments as an alternative to commercial products.

ZnO/biochar nanocomposites via solvent free ball milling for enhanced adsorption and photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue

There are challenges in developing multifunctional materials that can not only effectively adsorb but also completely eliminate organic contaminants in water. In this work, novel ZnO/biochar nanocomposites were synthesized using a facile ball-milling method. A series of characterization results showed that the ZnO nanoparticles dispersed uniformly on carbon surface within the biochar matrix. Ball milling increased the mesopores and macropores of the nanocomposites by breaking biochar and squeezing ZnO. The addition of appropriate amount of ZnO into biochar enhanced both the adsorption capacity and photocatalytic ability of the nanocomposites for methylene blue (MB) removal. When the initial concentration of MB was 160 mg/g, the nanocomposites exhibited high MB removal efficiency (up to 95.19%) under visible light through the combination of adsorption and photocatalysis. This work provides a feasible synthesis of metal oxide/biochar nanocomposites with excellent adsorption and photocatalysis properties for the treatment of organic dye wastewater.

Synthesis and Antimicrobial Activities of Some Polyphenol Compounds by Nano ZnO-TBAB as a Heterogeneous Catalytic Media

Introduction: Mannich reaction is a typical example of a three-component condensation reaction and the chemistry of Mannich bases has been the matter of search by researchers. Here, an efficient procedure for the synthesis of some new Mannich derivatives of simple phenols is described. Methods: In this procedure, a microwave-assisted and solventless condensation was done between different phenols, secondary amines and paraformaldehyde. The reactions proceeded in the presence of the catalytic amount of nano ZnO and tetrabutylammonium bromide (TBAB) in excellent yields. Ten new compounds were synthesized (A<sub>1</sub>-A<sub>10</sub>). Chemical structures of all new compounds were confirmed by different spectroscopic methods. We optimized the chemical reactions in different conditions. Optimization reactions were done in the presence of different mineral oxides, different amounts of TBAB and also different solvents. Nano ZnO and TBAB in catalytic amounts and solvent-free conditions were the best conditions. All the synthesized compounds were screened for their antimicrobial activities. Antifungal and antibacterial activities of the synthesized compounds were evaluated against some Candida species, filaments fungi, gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria by the broth microdilution method as recommended by CLSI. Results: The result showed that compounds A<sub>2</sub>, A<sub>3</sub> and A<sub>4</sub> against most of the tested Candida species and compounds A<sub>5</sub> and A<sub>7</sub> against C. parapsilosis and C. tropicalis exhibited considerable antifungal activities. Moreover, compounds A<sub>8</sub> and A<sub>10</sub> showed desirable antifungal activities against C. neoformance and C. parapsilosis, respectively. The antibacterial activities of the synthesized compounds were also evaluated. Compounds A<sub>6</sub> - A<sub>10</sub> against E. fecalis and compounds A<sub>5</sub>, A<sub>7</sub>, A<sub>9</sub> and A<sub>10</sub> against P. aeruginosa showed desirable antibacterial activities. Discussion: We have synthesized some new Mannich adducts of poly-hydroxyl phenols in the presence of nano- ZnO as a reusable catalyst, with the hope of discovering new lead compounds serving as potent antimicrobial agents. The advantages of this method are generality, high yields with short reaction times, simplicity, low cost and matching with green chemistry protocols. The antimicrobial studies of Mannich derivatives of phenols showed desirable results in vitro.

Properties of ZnO/ZnAl2O4 composite PEO coatings on zinc alloy Z1

Recently the successful formation of PEO coatings on zinc in a phosphate aluminate electrolyte was shown. The produced composite coatings contain various mixtures of ZnO and ZnAl$_2$O$_4$. In frame of the current study, the properties of the formed coatings including adhesion/cohesion, wear, corrosion and photocatalytic activity were analysed to identify possible applications. However, the coatings show internal porosity and a sponge-like structure. Thus the cohesion within the coating is quite low. Pull-off tests have demonstrated clear rupture within the PEO layer at strength values as low as 1 MPa. The photocatalytic activity is limited, in spite of the formation of a higher amount of ZnO at shorter treatment times. Interestingly, the composite coatings of ZnO and higher amounts of ZnAl$_2$O$_4$ spinel showed a higher activity, but not sufficient for fast and effective catalytic cleaning applications.

Sequential macrophage transition facilitates endogenous bone regeneration induced by Zn-doped porous microcrystalline bioactive glass.

Macrophages play an important role in the immune microenvironment during bone healing, and sequential macrophage phenotypic transition could achieve superior osteogenic outcomes. Microcrystalline bioactive glasses (MCBGs) with osteoimmunomodulatory effects show potential in bone tissue regeneration. Zinc (Zn) has been approved to coordinate innate and adaptive immunity. Therefore, in this study, different amounts of ZnO were incorporated into microcrystalline bioactive glass to improve its immunomodulatory ability. The effect of Zn-MCBG ionic extracts on macrophage transition was studied, and the 5Zn-MCBG extracts could orchestrate sequential M1-to-M2 macrophage transition and promote the expression of proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory genes and cytokine expression to induce human bone marrow stromal cells (hBMSCs) osteogenic differentiation in vitro. Macroporous Zn-MCBG scaffolds containing mesopores were fabricated and showed good cell adhesion and feasible apatite formation when immersed in SBF in vitro. Furthermore, a rat calvarial defect model was used to confirm that the Zn-MCBG scaffold could modulate macrophage phenotypic transition and create a desirable osteogenic microenvironment to promote osteogenesis in vivo.

Modeling and optimization of the photocatalytic degradation of Tartrazine in aqueous solution

The application of heterogeneous photocatalysis process using ZnO photocatalyst for the degradation of Tartrazine (TRZ) dye in aqueous solution was investigated in a batch reactor. The estimation, the comparison of the parameter?s effects and the optimization of the removal yield of TRZ were realized by using Box-Behnken experimental design (BBD). The results suggested that the most influential factor on the photocatalytic degradation of the dye was the initial TZR concentration with an effect of (-23.24), the second in the order was the amount of the catalyst with an effect of (+18.09), the third was the reaction time with an effect of (+15.38) and the fourth was stirring speed with a positive effect of (+4.41). The model obtained by BBD led to the following optimal conditions for degradation yield of TRZ: initial concentration of TZR equal to 20.035 mg/L, reaction time equal to 88.635 min, 0.6409 mg/L of ZnO amount and 404.9 rpm for the stirring speed, which gave 98.576% of degradation efficiency. The study of irradiation type effect shows that a solar irradiation gave higher yield than photocatalysis by UV lamp. The O2?- radicals were the principal active species responsible of the degradation of TRZ. The BOD5/COD ratio increased from 0.26 to 0.41 after 60 minutes of photocatalysis under solar light, indicating the feasibility of coupling the photocatalysis process to biological treatment for the removal of TRZ.

Recyclable and Photocatalytic Properties of ZnFe2O4/ZnO for Wastewater Treatment and Disinfection

AbstractIn this work, the magnetic and photocatalytic ZnFe2O4/ZnO, at two different ratios (1 : 1 and 1 : 8), have been prepared via a simple one‐step method. Characterization of the nanocomposite was performed using Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X‐Ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and Brunauer‐Emmett‐Teller (BET) isotherm. The photocatalytic activity was evaluated by monitoring the photodegradation of methylene blue and the photo‐assisted bleaching of p‐nitrosodimethylaniline, under UV365nm irradiation. The photocatalytic performance is related to the amount of ZnO on the composite. Therefore, using ZnFe2O4/ZnO at 1 : 8 ratio (0.1 mg mL−1), efficiency of 80 % was achieved after 120 min. The material can be recovered magnetically and reused for at least three consecutive cycles without losing their activity. Water disinfection performance was also determined by measuring E. coli inactivation. Remarkably, ZnFe2O4/ZnO at 1 : 8 (0.1 mg mL−1) proved to be more effective for bacterial inactivation than ZnO alone, with an inactivation performance of 90 % after 15 min. Interestingly, these composites can be used as highly efficient photocatalysts for wastewater treatment and water disinfection, and are magnetically separable and reusable.

The Influence of Curing Systems on the Cure Characteristics and Physical Properties of Styrene-Butadiene Elastomer.

The goal of this work is to study the influence of different curing systems on the cure characteristics and performance of styrene–butadiene elastomer (SBR) filled with carbon black or nanosized silica. A multifunctional additive for rubber compounds, namely Activ8, was applied as an additional activator and accelerator to increase the efficiency of sulfur vulcanization and to reduce the content of zinc oxide elastomers cured in the presence of 2-mercaptobenzothizole or 1,3-diphenylguanidine as a primary accelerator. The influence of the curing system composition on the crosslink density and physical properties of SBR vulcanizates, such as mechanical properties, thermal stability, and resistance to thermo-oxidative aging, is also reported. Activ8 effectively supports the vulcanization of SBR compounds, especially filled with nanosized silica. It reduces the optimal vulcanization time of SBR compounds and increases the crosslink density of the vulcanizates. Moreover, vulcanizates with Activ8 exhibit higher tensile strength and better damping properties than elastomer with zinc oxide. Activ8 allows the amount of ZnO to be reduced by 40% without detrimental effects on the crosslink density and mechanical performance compared to the vulcanizates conventionally crosslinked with ZnO. This is an important ecological goal since ZnO is classified as being toxic to aquatic species.

Construction of Ag–ZnO/cellulose nanocomposites via tunable cellulose size for improving photocatalytic performance

The Ag–ZnO/cellulose nanocomposites with tunable structure and properties was fabricated and used as an effective photocatalyst for degrading methyl orange (MO) dye. The structure and properties of the Ag–ZnO/cellulose nanocomposites were regulated by the cellulose fiber size via different times of grinding treatment. The morphologies of ZnO NPs changed from flower-like to flaky with the decrease of diameter of cellulose fiber from 130 nm to 42 nm, and loading amounts of ZnO and Ag NPs on photocatalyst increased from 56.12% to 57.46% and 5.28%–6.54% respectively. The finer fibrils provided a more uniform network compared with coarse fibers, which is benefit for stable distribution of ZnO and Ag nanoparticles (NPs) and facile separation from wastewater. The Ag–ZnO/cellulose nanocomposites, prepared from cellulose fiber with grinding treatment of 30 times, exhibited homogeneous three-dimensional cellulose network with specific surface area of 40.64 m2/g and possessed excellent photocatalytic activities and reusability for MO degradation. This work provided a novel approach to control the morphology of ZnO by tuning cellulose size, for improving photocatalytic activities and recovery efficiency of Ag–ZnO/cellulose nanocomposites.

Revealing the substitution preference of zinc in ordinary Portland cement clinker phases: A study from experiments and DFT calculations

Ordinary Portland cement (OPC) clinker mainly consist four minerals, tricalcium silicate (C3S), dicalcium silicate (C2S,), tricalcium aluminate (C3A), and tetracalcium aluminoferrite (C4AF). To learn the doping behaviors of Zn in OPC clinker, a series of samples were prepared by calcinating the mixtures of CaCO3, SiO2, Al2O3, Fe2O3, and ZnO. Our results from energy-dispersive spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and density functional theoretical simulations show that a small amount of ZnO enter C3S and C2S by replacing Ca ions while most incorporate into C4AF by substituting Fe atoms, resulting in a decrease of C3A in OPC as dosage increases. Further analyses from partial density of states and distributions of bond order-bond length indicate that the doping preference can be ascribed to the similar electron contributions and small structure distortions between host and guest ions. Unlike the strong Fe‒O bond, the newly formed Zn‒O is much weaker. The weak Zn‒O may be responsible for the limited solubility of Zn in C4AF. These results provide a possibility of increasing solubility of Zn in OPC clinker by increasing the contents of C3A and C4AF, thus will be very meaningful in the synthesis of OPC clinker by utilizing Zn-bearing alternative raw materials.