Synthesis Of ZnO Nanostructures Research Articles

Biogenic synthesis of hybrid array of ZnO nanoparticles and nanorods for modeling the surface response behavior of Congo red dye in adsorptive studies

ZnO nanostructures are of substantial interest because of having exclusive potential to inculcate in the plethora of applications. Numbers of reports have been reported in literature depicting the synthesis of ZnO nanostructures with variable dimensions using different precursors with complex mechanism. As per our knowledge, no research work discussing the synthesis of hybrid array of ZnO nanoparticles and nanorods based on single precursor in one pot biogenic reaction has been discoursed so far. Herein, ZnO nanostructures (0-D and 1-D) have been biogenically synthesized at room temperature with average crystallite size of 43.05 nm as depicted by XRD results and further utilized to remove Congo Red dye from aqueous solution. The maximum monolayer adsorption capacity has been found to be 16.6670 mg g−1 at 298 K temperature. Isotherm models and thermodynamic study have suggested the feasible monolayer adsorption of Congo Red dye on ZnO with activation energy of 21.616 kJ mol−1.

Deep-Level Transient Spectroscopy Studies on Four Different Zinc Oxide Morphologies

In this work, we described the variations in the defect energy levels of four different ZnO morphologies, namely nanoribbons, nanorods, nanoparticles, and nanoshuttles. All the ZnO morphologies were grown on a seeded 4% Boron-doped p-type silicon (p-Si) wafer by using two different synthesis techniques, which are chemical bath deposition and microwave-assisted methods. The defect energy levels were analyzed by using the Deep-Level Transient Spectroscopy (DLTS) characterization method. The DLTS measurements were performed in the 123 K to 423 K temperature range. From the DLTS spectra, we found the presence of different trap-related defects in the synthesized ZnO nanostructures. We labeled all the traps related to the four different ZnO nanostructures as P1, P2, P3, P4, and P5. We discussed the presence of defects by measuring the activation energy (Ea) and capture cross-section (α). The lowest number of defect energy levels was exhibited by the ZnO nanorods at 0.27 eV, 0.18 eV, and 0.75 eV. Both the ZnO nanoribbons and nanoparticles show four traps, which have energies of 0.31 eV, 0.23 eV, 0.87 eV, and 0.44 eV and 0.27 eV, 0.22 eV, 0.88 eV, and 0.51 eV, respectively. From the DLTS spectrum of the nanoshuttles, we observe five traps with different activation energies of 0.13 eV, 0.28 eV, 0.25 eV, 0.94 eV, and 0.50 eV. The DLTS analysis revealed that the origin of the nanostructure defect energy levels can be attributed to Zinc vacancies (Vzn), Oxygen vacancies (Vo), Zinc interstitials (Zni), Oxygen interstitials (Oi), and Zinc antisites (Zno). Based on our analysis, the ZnO nanorods showed the lowest number of defect energy levels compared to the other ZnO morphologies.

Investigating the Role of Embedded ZnO Seed Layer Thickness in Electrodeposited Cu2O/Zn(x)Mg(1−x)O/ZnO/FTO Heterojunctions for Photovoltaic Applications

This article represents the construction of Cu2O/Zn(x)Mg(1−x)O/ZnO/FTO heterojunctions by employing a simple electrodeposition approach. The impact of inserting ZnO seed layers with different thicknesses on the various physicochemical properties of the electrodeposited films is explored by applying various techniques. The electrochemical characterization specifies high photoresponses achieving 335.42 μA cm−2 for seeded Cu2O/Zn(x)Mg(1−x)O heterojunctions by increasing the thickness of seeded ZnO layer from 25 to 100 nm. The scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy techniques indicate that the surface texture and smoothness of Cu2O/ZnO heterojunctions have significantly enhanced after increasing the thickness of the ZnO layers. The synthesized ZnO nanostructures are found to be highly crystalline in nature having ZnO with hexagonal phase oriented along (002) direction and Cu2O with cubic structure oriented along (111) direction. This study shows the introduction of ZnO seed layers, enhances the I–V characteristics of Au/Cu2O/Zn(x)Mg(1−x)O/ZnO/FTO solar cells. The ideality factor shows a decreasing tendency from 5.35 to 3.93 while the photoelectric response is increased from 427% to 643% with the increase of the ZnO thickness from 25 to 100 nm, respectively, demonstrating the effectiveness of the seed layers approach.

The physical properties and photocatalytic activities of green synthesized ZnO nanostructures using different ginger extract concentrations

The green synthesis method which is aligned with the sustainable development goals (SDGs) theory, is proposed to synthesize ZnO nanoparticles using ginger extract to treat the acidic wastewater and acidic factory effluent as a current challenge and the effects of the concentration of extracts on the synthesized ZnO nanostructures are investigated. The results declare that the single-phase hexagonal ZnO is formed using ginger extract concentration of less than 25 mL and the crystallite size of green synthesized ZnO NPs increased with increasing the concentration of ginger extract. Also, the significant effects of ginger extract concentration on the morphology of nanoparticles (nanocone, nanoflakes, and flower-like) and the particle size are demonstrated. The low concentration of ginger extract leads to the formation of the ZnO nanoflakes, while the flower-like structure is gradually completed by increasing the concentration of the ginger extract. Furthermore, significant changes in the specific surface area (SSA) of the samples are observed (in the range of 6.1–27.7 m2/g) by the variation of ginger extract concentration and the best SSA is related to using 10 mL ginger extract. Also, the strong effect of using ginger extract on the reflectance spectra of the green synthesized ZnO NPs, especially in the UV region is proved. The indirect (direct) band gap energies of the ZnO samples are obtained in the range of 3.09–3.20 eV (3.32–3.38 eV). Furthermore, the photocatalytic activities of the samples for the degradation of methylene blue indicate the impressive effect of ginger extract concentration on the degradation efficiency of ZnO nanoparticles and it reaches up to 44% and 83% for ZnO NPs prepared using 5 mL ginger extract in a pH of 4.3 and 5.6, respectively. This study provided new insights into the fabrication and practical application of high-performance ZnO photocatalysts synthesized using ginger extract in degrading organic pollutants in an acidic solution.

The influence of temperature and pressure technological parameters on the characteristics of ZnO nanostructures synthesized by sol-gel process in isopropanol

The sol-gel process was employed to successfully synthesize ZnO nanostructures in isopropanol, employing various subcritical temperature and pressure conditions: (90°C, 2 bar), (120°C, 6 bar), (160°C, 14 bar), and (200°C, 30 bar). The resulting products were subsequently annealed at 500°C for 2 hours and subjected to characterization using different analytical techniques, including X-ray diffraction (DRX), infrared (ATR), UV-Visible, and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopies. The DRX measurements confirmed that the ZnO nanostructures exhibited a polycrystalline structure of the hexagonal wurtzite type. The cell parameters and stresses within the crystallites were found to be influenced by the synthesis conditions (temperature and pressure), in contrast to the particle size. ATR spectra indicated high purity of the produced nanostructures, and it was observed that the position of the absorption band associated with the Zn-O vibrational bond of ZnO shifted towards lower wavenumbers as the temperature increased. UV-Visible spectra demonstrated that the absorption band shifted towards shorter wavelengths with increasing temperature and pressure. The optical gap displayed a similar trend to the lattice parameters and strain within the nanoparticles. PL measurements revealed that the processing temperature and pressure resulted in increased UV emission and decreased visible emission. However, the positions of the UV emission bands were independent of the synthesis parameters.

Novel synthesis of ZnO nanostructure from galvanization waste for antibacterial application

Galvanization is a method to coat metals using zinc layer. It generates galvanization ash and dust as the byproducts. Until now, the galvanization ash has not been widely explored and used. This study focuses on the synthesis of zinc oxide nanostructure (n-ZnO) from zinc recovered from galvanization ash and its application as antibacterial agent. The results show that the n-ZnO prepared with the concentration of acid of 1.9 M at 7 h leaching time producing the n-ZnO with highest purity (84.6 %) and percent yield (87.20 %). The antibacterial assessment shows that this n-ZnO inhibited the growth of bacterium Klebsiella pneumoniae, highlighting the potential of the galvanization ash as the sustainable source of zinc to produce n-ZnO with the antibacterial properties.

Temperature-dependent dielectric properties of p-n heterojunction diodes based on hydrothermally synthesized ZnO nanostructures

In this study, the effect of coating p-Si substrates with a pure ZnO layer using the hydrothermal reaction method on the dielectric parameters was reported. The studied dielectric properties of the ZnO/p-Si structure include dielectric constant (ε′), dielectric loss (ε″), ac electrical conductivity (σ AC), and real and imaginary electrical modulus (M′, M″). These properties were investigated using experimental capacitance-frequency (C-f) and conductivity-frequency (G-f) measurements in a frequency range of 20 Hz-1 MHz and a temperature range of 300-420 K. Experimental results show that dielectric parameters are strongly frequency- and temperature-dependent. The dielectric constant showed an increase of about 11 times in the investigated temperature range. At the same time, AC electrical conductivity increased with increasing frequency and temperature. In addition, the electrical modulus was examined, and peaks were observed in M″ values. It was observed that the peaks shifted to the high-frequency region with the increase in temperature. The activation energies were also calculated from the conductivity parameters and a decrease was observed in the activation energies as the frequency increased. Regardless of temperature and frequency, the higher dielectric loss of the fabricated diode compared to its dielectric constant can be advantageous for certain heating or electromagnetic absorption applications.

Hydrothermal synthesis of ZnO nanostructures for environmental applications: the role of different supporting ligands

Hydrothermal synthesis of ZnO nanostructures for environmental applications: the role of different supporting ligands

Sargassum natans I Algae: An Alternative for a Greener Approach for the Synthesis of ZnO Nanostructures with Biological and Environmental Applications.

In this work, the influence of the Sargassum natans I alga extract on the morphological characteristics of synthesized ZnO nanostructures, with potential biological and environmental applications, was evaluated. For this purpose, different ZnO geometries were synthesized by the co-precipitation method, using Sargassum natans I alga extract as stabilizing agent. Four extract volumes (5, 10, 20, and 50 mL) were evaluated to obtain the different nanostructures. Moreover, a sample by chemical synthesis, without the addition of extract, was prepared. The characterization of the ZnO samples was carried out by UV-Vis spectroscopy, FT-IR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy. The results showed that the Sargassum alga extract has a fundamental role in the stabilization process of the ZnO nanoparticles. In addition, it was shown that the increase in the Sargassum alga extract leads to preferential growth and arrangement, obtaining well-defined shaped particles. ZnO nanostructures demonstrated significant anti-inflammatory response by the in vitro egg albumin protein denaturation for biological purposes. Additionally, quantitative antibacterial analysis (AA) showed that the ZnO nanostructures synthesized with 10 and 20 mL of extract demonstrated high AA against Gram (+) S. aureus and moderate AA behavior against Gram (-) P. aeruginosa, depending on the ZnO arrangement induced by the Sargassum natans I alga extract and the nanoparticles' concentration (ca. 3200 µg/mL). Additionally, ZnO samples were evaluated as photocatalytic materials through the degradation of organic dyes. Complete degradation of both methyl violet and malachite green were achieved using the ZnO sample synthesized with 50 mL of extract. In all cases, the well-defined morphology of ZnO induced by the Sargassum natans I alga extract played a key role in the combined biological/environmental performance.

UV Suppression in photoluminescence emission and improved photocatalytic activity under sunlight in nanoassemblies and nanocrystals of ZnO

The objective of present study is to analyse the impact of alterations in the shape and size of ZnO on PL emission and photocatalytic activity of ZnO nanostructures. The study also aims at addressing the knowledge gap between synthesis approach and its role in governing the optical, morphological and photocatalytic behaviour. Here, we report the facile and controlled synthesis of nanoassemblies (NA) and nanocrystals (NC) of ZnO via soft chemical approach. The synthesized ZnO nanostructures were characterized using TEM, SEM, UV–vis and photoluminescence (PL) measurement. The morphology of ZnO is tuned by adjusting the molar ratio of DEG and water whose impact is also noticed on the PL emission spectra. PL analysis revealed that the UV emission (378 nm) and defect levels attributed to Zn interstitial (Zni) and oxygen interstitial (Oi) are stabilized at ambient condition. However, UV band gap emission peak is significantly reduced making it lesser distinct by introducing appropriate amount of water in diethylene glycol (DEG) solvent during ZnO synthesis. Such controlled nanostructured growth demonstrates potential for sustainable photocatalytic activity under both UV and Sunlight irradiation. The study shows 100% photodegradation efficiency for ZnO NA and it get completely irradiated methylene blue dye within 90 min under UV light, whereas only 70% dye is degraded in 100 min for ZnO NC. Under natural Sunlight, ZnO NA has been achieved 97% degradation efficacy in 75 min; however, ZnO NC has degraded only 89% of dye. Further, the degradation of dye over ZnO was observed to follow pseudo first order reaction kinetic model that is used to determine the rate constant of the reaction.

Hydrophilic ionic liquid assisted hydrothermal synthesis of ZnO nanostructures with controllable morphology.

Nanostructured ZnO with controllable morphology was prepared by a hydrothermal method in the presence of three different hydrophilic ionic liquids (ILs), 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium methylsulfate, ([C2mim]CH3SO4), 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium methylsulfate, ([C4mim]CH3SO4) and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium ethylsulfate, ([C2mim]C2H5SO4) as soft templates. The formation of ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) with and without IL was verified using FT-IR and UV-visible spectroscopy. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and selected area electron diffraction (SAED) patterns indicated the formation of pure crystalline ZnO with a hexagonal wurtzite phase. Field emission scanning electron microscopic (FESEM) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopic (HRTEM) images confirmed the formation of rod-shaped ZnO nanostructures without using IL, whereas the morphology varied widely following addition of ILs. With increasing concentrations of [C2mim]CH3SO4, the rod-shaped ZnO nanostructures transformed into flower-shaped nanostructures whereas with rising concentrations of [C4mim]CH3SO4 and [C2mim]C2H5SO4 the morphology changed into petal- and flake-like nanostructures, respectively. The selective adsorption effect of the ILs could protect certain facets during the formation of ZnO rods and promote the growth in directions other than [0001] to yield petal- or flake-like architectures. The morphology of ZnO nanostructures was, therefore, tunable by the controlled addition of hydrophilic ILs of different structures. The size of the nanostructures was widely distributed and the Z-average diameter, evaluated from dynamic light scattering measurements, increased as the concentration of the IL increased and passed through a maximum before decreasing again. The optical band gap energy of the ZnO nanostructures decreased when IL was added during the synthesis which is consistent with the morphology of the ZnO nanostructures. Thus, the hydrophilic ILs serve as self-directing agents and soft templates for the synthesis of ZnO nanostructures and the morphology and optical properties of ZnO nanostructures are tunable by changing the structure of the ILs as well as systematic variation of the concentration of ILs during synthesis.

The Effect of Mangosteen Varieties as Dyes and ZnO Nanostructures Mixture to DSSC - Dye-sensitized Solar Cell Characteristics

Dye-sensitized Solar Cell (DSSC) based on ZnO nanostructures has been fabricated using mangosteen peel extract as dyes using the Yonekawa method and the Grätzel method. This research synthesized ZnO nanostructures with nanoparticles, nanorods, nanoflower, and nanotree morphologies. Two different morphological structures of ZnO were mixed with the ratio of 25:75, 50:50, and 75:25, and the performance of the DSSC was investigated. The dye used in the DSSC was extracted from mangosteen peel of different varieties obtained from Blitar, Purwakarta, and Gede Bage. The highest anthocyanin levels were obtained from the Gede Bage sample with a value of 105.774 mg L−1. The results of the I-V curve measurement showed that the most stable values of open-circuit voltage (Voc) and short circuit current (Isc) were obtained from the dye extracted from the Blitar sample with the value of 0.312 V and 3 μA respectively for the Yonekawa method (0.001 28 % efficiency) as well as 0.222 V and 5.5 μA respectively for the Grätzel method (0.00264 % efficiency). The best efficiency was obtained from the mixtures of nanoparticles (75) : nanotrees (25) with the value of 0.034 77 % (0.285 V Voc, 27.5 μA Isc, and FF 26.5 %) using the Yonekawa method.

Structural, Morphological, Electronic Structural, Optical, and Magnetic Properties of ZnO Nanostructures.

ZnO nanostructures were grown on a Si(111) substrate using a vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) growth procedure (pristine ZnO) and annealed via a rapid thermal-annealing process in an argon atmosphere at 1100 °C (Ar-ZnO). The synthesized ZnO nanostructures were investigated through structural, electronic structural, morphological, optical, and magnetic characterizations. X-ray diffraction and selective area electron diffraction (SAED) measurements revealed that both samples exhibited the hexagonal wurtzite phase of nanocrystalline ZnO. Near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy carried out at the O K-edge inferred the presence of the intrinsic-defect states. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and transmission electron microscopy images displayed the formation of ZnO nanostructures. The photoluminescence (PL) spectra demonstrated an emission band in the UV region along with an additional defect band in the visible region. PL spectral analysis confirmed the presence of intrinsic defects in Ar-ZnO nanowires, contributing to the enhanced emission in the visible region. The Raman spectra showed the characteristic band (434 cm-1) corresponding to the vibrational modes of hexagonal wurtzite ZnO, with an additional band attributable to intrinsic defects. DC magnetization measurements showed a ferromagnetic response in both samples with enhanced coercivity in Ar-ZnO (~280 Oe). In brief, both samples exhibited the presence of intrinsic defects, which are found to be further enhanced in the case of Ar-ZnO. Therefore, it is suggested that intrinsic defects have played an important role in modifying the optical and magnetic properties of ZnO with enhanced results for Ar-ZnO.

Thermoelectric, Electrochemical, & Dielectric Properties of Four ZnO Nanostructures.

In this work, we investigated the thermoelectric, electrochemical, and dielectric properties of four different ZnO morphologies, namely nanoribbons, nanorods, nanoparticles, and nanoshuttles. Temperature-dependent Seebeck coefficients were observed using thermoelectric measurements, which confirmed that all synthesized ZnO nanostructures are n-type semiconductors. The Van der Pauw method was applied to measure electrical conductivity, which was also used to calculate the thermal activation energy. Electrochemical properties were analyzed by cyclic voltammetry techniques under five different optical filters. Electrical conductivity of ZnO morphologies showed an increasing trend with increasing temperature. The highest electrical conductivity (1097.60 Ω−1 m−1) and electronic thermal conductivity (1.16×10−4 W/mK) were obtained for ZnO nanorods at 425 K, whereas ZnO nanoshuttles carried the lowest electrical conductivity (1.10 × 10−4 Ω−1 m−1) and electronic thermal conductivity (8.72 × 10−7 W/mK) at 325 K. ZnO nanorods obtained the maximum Power factor value in all temperature ranges. All nanostructures showed electro-catalytic performance with different optical filters. From impedance spectroscopy analysis, ZnO nanorods showed the highest dielectric constant at high frequencies (>1 MHz) at 2.02 ± 0.06, while ZnO nanoshuttles gave the highest dielectric constant at low frequencies (<100 Hz) at 9.69 ± 0.05. These results indicate that ZnO nanorods have the most favorable thermoelectric, electrochemical, and dielectric properties compared to all other ZnO morphologies.

Prospects of Methylene Blue degradation using green synthesised ZnO nanostructures

Nanomaterials have been used a lot, especially in optical, sensing, biomedical and manufacturing sectors, due to their piezoelectric, pyroelectric, photocatalytic and semiconducting properties. Green synthesized ZnO Nanostructures are biocompatible, eco-friendly, cost-effective and energy-efficient. One of the biggest challenges is the overuse of harmful textile dyes and their discharge from industry into environmental water. Before discharging, the effluent should be treated to degrade the dye into a non-toxic state. Conventional treatment procedures are unable to efficiently remove these toxic pollutants. Therefore, the need for the development of sustainable removal methods is essential. The present study focuses on the study of synthesis of ZnO Nanostructures utilising plant extracts and their application in the breakdown of Methylene Blue. ZnO Nanostructures can be used in dye degradation due to their semiconductor and photocatalytic properties. In plant-based synthesis, the plant extracts serve as both bio-reducing and capping agents. We have studied ZnO Nanostructures synthesised from the different parts of the plants such as K. septemlobus barks, S.baicalensis roots, Canna indica L flower, Artocarpus gomezianus fruit extract and Azadirachta Indica (Neem) leaf extract on the basis of various parameters like surface morphology and synthesising technique. Green synthesised ZnO Nanostructures are an economical and environmentally friendly approach, to the renewal of our environment.

Facile preparation of nanostructured ZnO via low-temperature hydrothermal method upon changing the precursor anion: The study of structural, morphological, and optical properties

The synthesis of ZnO nanostructures was carried out via a low-temperature hydrothermal route; using three different zinc precursors: ZnSO4, ZnCl2, and Zn(ac)2. X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed that all synthesized samples have high purity wurtzite hexagonal structure. The calculation of lattice parameters indicated that the precursor’s anion and the hydrothermal time strongly affected the lattice parameters. The SO42- anion capped the polar surface growth, which leads to 2D nanostructures. However, the Cl- anion boosted growth along the c axis and inhibited the lateral axes, which lead to 1D nanostructures. The microstrain and crystallite size of the samples were determined using the Williamson-Hall (W-H), Size-Strain Plot, and Halder-Wagner (H-W) methods. The SEM images indicated morphological differences in the formation of the synthesized samples, confirming that the anion of the precursor and the hydrothermal time play a determining role in the shape of the ZnO nanostructures. All the ZnO samples show strong absorption in the ultraviolet region with an onset of absorbance in the range 250–335 nm; blue shifting was observed for all samples indicating a large bandgap, such as Eg(Cl-) > Eg(SO42-) > Eg(C2H3O2-) and the Urbach energy that reflects the disorder was calculated, such thatEu(ZA6) > Eu(ZS6) > Eu(ZC6). There was a correlation between optical and structural proprieties: the bandgap decreased with increasing microstrain, however, Urbach energy increased.

Synergistic effect of PEG-coated ZnO nanoparticles and ultrasonic irradiation on the C–B bond cleavage of aryl boronic acids

Phenol and its derivatives are significant constituents for bioactive molecules which are also used as herbicides, insecticides and fungicides. The conventional methods to synthesize phenols and their derivatives involve complex procedures, harsh conditions, toxic chemicals and mostly transition metal-based homogeneous catalysts. Herein we intend to use a mild, green and ecofriendly protocol to synthesize phenol and its derivatives under ultrasonic vibration. Accordingly, a simplistic method has been developed to synthesize ZnO nanostructures by precipitation technique using a biodegradable polymer, polyethylene glycol (PEG) at 60 °C. The synthesized ZnO nanostructures have been characterized by different instrumental techniques. XRD studies confirmed the formation of well crystalline ZnO possessing hexagonal phase wurtzite structure. Electron microscopy study revealed that the additive plays an important role in controlling the size and morphology of the formed nanostructures. The optical spectroscopy studies confirmed the presence of various absorption and emission peaks originating due to various defects in the materials. The synthesized ZnO nanostructures efficiently catalyze the ipso-hydroxylation of various substituted aryl boronic acids, aliphatic boronic acid and aryl boronic acids containing heterocycles as well as sterically hindrance group with excellent yield under green and cost-effective environment using as low as 0.06 mL H2O2 in 3 min under ultrasonic vibration. The synthesized ZnO nanostructures are highly stable possessing excellent recyclability up to 6th runs with minimal loss of activity.

Rapid synthesis of ZnO nanostructures on woven carbon fiber using microwave treated chemical bath deposition and their characterization

Microwave-assisted chemical bath deposition (MACBD) is a new method for synthesizing metal-oxide layers and nanostructures efficiently. The fast synthesis of ZnO nanostructures (NSs) on woven carbon fiber (WCF) is reported in this study employing the MACBD technique. An aqueous solution of tetra ammonium zinc complex was used to create several morphologies of ZnO NSs on WCF fabric, including nanopetals, twinned nanospheres, nanoflowers, and nanoflakes. Under microwave heating, plain WCF fabric samples were treated with several precursor solutions. When compared to conventional CBD, the development time of ZnO NSs is lowered to roughly 2–4 min. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and an X-ray diffractometer were used to evaluate as-developed ZnO NSs morphologies on WCF. The processing of ZnO NSs on the strands of carbon fibers was interpreted using FESEM, and it was discovered that variations in microwave duration and precursor solution are the primary causes of ZnO morphology development. With the formation of nanostructures, the crystalline peak height of the nanostructures increases. For the fabrication of high performance ZnO nanostructured WCF hybrid polymer composites vacuum bagging technique were used along with resin transfer system. Epoxy resin was applied as a matrix material with the five layers of ZnO grown WCF for varied applications.

DES-mediated synthesis of ZnO nanostructures with exposed {0001} facets: photoluminescence and photocatalytic properties

Optimizing the facet growth of ZnO nanostructures using green solvents via a controlled route.

Apple-like Zinc-Oxide Mesocrystals as Robust and Versatile Photocatalysts for Efficient Degradation of Eight Different Organic Dyes.

The discovery of efficient photocatalysts is a promising key approach to solve the environmental crisis caused by hazardous organic dyes. Herein, we have for the first time created ZnO mesocrystals with a novel apple-like morphology. We have developed a one-pot biomineralization route to synthesize ZnO nanostructures at room temperature by using the rod-like protein collagen as the template. The shape of ZnO mesocrystals can be conveniently tuned from fusiform-like and kiwi-like to orange-like, apple-like, and snack-like structures. The apple-like ZnO mesocrystals show a significantly better photodegradation efficiency than the commercial ZnO powder as well as other nanostructured ZnO materials for both rhodamine B (RhB) and methyl orange (MO). Furthermore, the apple-like zinc-oxide mesocrystals can degrade all of the tested eight different types of organic dyes (RhB, rhodamine 6G, methylene blue, Coomassie brilliant blue R250, BPB, MO, Li Chunhong S, and carmine) simply under the exposure of sunlight, demonstrating their superior photodegradation prowess, environmental amiability, and energy-saving features. The novel robust and versatile photocatalyst has greatly advanced our abilities for the elimination of organic dyes. The green, one-pot strategy provides a convenient method for the construction of novel metal-oxide nanostructures with promising applications in environmental protection.