ZnO Content Research Articles

Nitrophenol compounds photoreduction by MnO2/ZnO thin film with impact on reducing agents

In this work, a thin layer of manganese dioxide/zinc oxide (MnO2/ZnO) was deposited on a glass substrate using a two-stage chemical bath deposition (CBD) method to optimize the photocatalytic activities in the reduction of 2-nitrophenol. The effects of ethanol and butanol as reducing agents on the surface morphology, wettability, thermal insulation, and photocatalytic activities were investigated. At 100 kX magnification, the micrographs clearly showed the MnO2 nanoparticles embedded in the thin film for the single and two-stage CBD, with the particle agglomeration being more pronounced for the two-stage CBD. ZnO has been diffused into MnO2 for both reducing agents, albeit with lower integration. In addition, the images show that the prepared catalyst in butanol gradually granulates with increasing ZnO content compared to ethanol, affecting its particle size and the active surface. The thermal insulation test reveals that the sample with 10 % ZnO reduces the temperature by 4 °C, which improves the durability and stability of the catalyst. The exact composition of the sample demonstrates the optimum photodegradation of 2-nitrophenol with an efficiency of 94.96 % (0.0301 min−1). The measurement of the water contact angle also showed an increase in the contact angle (CA) with a value of 55.6°. Based on the findings, it was found that photocatalysts using butanol as a reducing agent demonstrate higher efficiency in reducing of 2-nitrophenol as compared to ethanol due to its homogeneous distribution and large surface area. This study brought a new direction in impact of reducing agent on void free and dense thin film of the MnO2/ZnO catalyst in reducing of persistent water pollutants under visible light irradiation.

Advancing the additive manufacturing of PLA-ZnO nanocomposites by fused filament fabrication

ABSTRACTPoly(lactic acid)-zinc oxide (PLA-ZnO) nanocomposites for fused filament fabrication have potential applications in the biomedical field as they combine the bio-compatibility of PLA with the antibacterial properties of ZnO. This work investigates the effects of masterbatch mixing strategy, ZnO concentration and ZnO surface treatment (silanisation) on the printability and the mechanical performance of the nanocomposites as a pre-requirement to the wider uptake of these materials. The results showed that the printability decreased as the filler loading increased. However, the surface treatment of the ZnO powder enhanced the matrix-filler interfacial interactions and reduced the thermal degradation of PLA. This ameliorated the printability and the tensile properties of the nanocomposites filled with up to 5 wt.% of ZnO. Moreover, despite the additional thermal treatment, melt-mixing prevented the degradative effect induced by the solvent used for solvent mixing. Future work will focus on assessing the antibacterial properties of the nanocomposite FFF parts.

Influence of B2O3/ZnO Exchange in Gamma Shielding Properties of TBTZ Glasses

A series of tellurite glass having compositions: 60 TeO2 – (30-x) B2O3 – 7 TiO2 – (3+x) ZnO where x = 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 mol% were successfully facbricated, i.e., by applying the melt-quenching method. Melting was carried out at 950˚C in 70 minutes. The density of all the investigated glasses were calculated using an empirical equation. The density of TBTZ increases from 4.005 to 4.197 g/cm3 with rising ZnO concentration. It can be understood that density enhancement is due to an improvement in glass molecular weight. Whereas, gamma shielding properties of the glasses was simulated using Phy-X/PSD software for photon energy in the range 0.005 – 15 MeV. Linear attenuation coefficient (LAC) and half-value layer (HVL) are obtained and discussed. It was shown that LAC increase and HVL decrease within all gamma photon energies within alteration of ZnO concentration. The increase and decreation vary and depend on gamma photon energy. Identify relevant articles in literature searches, great care should be taken in constructing both. (boro-tellurite glass, linear attenuation coefficients, Half Value Layer, Gamma Shielding, radiation shielding)

Shaping the Structure and Properties of TiO2-ZnO Oxide Coatings Produced by Plasma Electrolytic Oxidation on Titanium Substrate.

The paper presents the results of preliminary research on the possibility of synthesizing ZnO-TiO2 mixed coatings by plasma electrochemical oxidation (PEO). The aim of the work was to synthesize TiO2-ZnO mixed coatings on a titanium substrate from an electrolyte containing ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) and to assess the parameters of PEO on the structure, chemical composition, and properties of the obtained oxide coatings. The PEO process was carried out under various current-voltage conditions using different signals: DC, DC pulse, and AC. In this work, optimal conditions for the PEO process were determined to obtain well-adhering oxide coatings with the highest possible content of ZnO. The structure and morphology of the resulting oxide coatings were investigated, and their chemical and phase composition was comprehensively examined (EDX, XRD, XPS, and GD-OES). In addition, their basic optical properties were assessed. It has been shown that in the PEO DC pulse process, it is possible to obtain oxide coatings characterized by a high degree of structure order, high ZnO content in the oxide coating (3.6 at.%, XPS), and prospective applications for photocatalytic purposes (3.12 eV).

Facile synthesis of Mn3O4–ZnO composite for photocatalytic dye removal and capacitive applications

Researchers are focusing on the designing a material's chemistry with novel composition to enhance the efficiency of wastewater treatment and energy storage applications with sufficient stability. Current manuscript presents a detailed comparative study of Mn3O4–ZnO composite for photocatalytic and capacitive applications. The composite samples were prepared through chemical precipitation route to understand the effect of concentration of each component (Mn3O4 and ZnO) on structural and optical characteristics. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier Transformed Infra-Red spectroscopy (FTIR) confirmed the successful development of both phases with structural modifications in composite sample. Optical absorbance spectroscopy supported the structural amendments with variation in optical band gap (2.71–2.92 eV). Further, the equal concentration (1:1) of Mn3O4 and ZnO exhibited ∼98 % removal of methylene blue dye under UV–visible lamp (Hg lamp) with highest rate of removal (0.037 min−1) among all the prepared samples. Here, the degradation efficiency has been reduced significantly (to 30 %) in alkaline dye solution at pH = 11. Further, the capacitive measurements revealed the highest total capacitance (0.97 F/g) among all the mixed compositions.

Green Synthesis and Evaluation of ZnO NPs and study the effect of Their toxic on Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)

The research interest in nanomaterials preparation from natural products as a green method and their application in various fields applications, tremendous attention has been taken to the green composition of nanoparticles. ZnO can be considered one of the most widely used metal oxides for most requirements of daily used products. In this research ZnO NPs prepared by using Petroselinum crispum (parsley) extract and to make the first study of toxicological evaluation of ZnO NPs their effect aspects on Honey bees (Apis mellifera). ZnO NPs have been charactarized by using SEM, EDX, XRD, UV-Vis and FTIR Spectroscopy. The toxicological evaluation of ZnO NPs has been applied to a honey bee. The lethal ZnO concentration was obtained, and the LC50 range calculation values ​​were changed during 288 hours of feeding to ZnO nanoparticles at different concentrations (25, 50, 250, 500 mg per 100 ml) and the obtained LC50 values changed from 275, decreasing to 162.55 for the research range times after every 24 hours of exposure feeding calculations. In addition, for the group treated with 500 mg of ZnO per 100 ml, higher mortality was observed compared to other concentrations as it increased more than all other items indicating the above concentrations but not with the control group. The ergonomic design for creating a honey bee shelter was first introduced and no similar investigations were found in the literature.

Sintering mechanism and electrical conductivity of ZnO added BaCe0.8Zr0.1Y0.1O3-δ proton conducting perovskites

The sintering mechanism and electrical conductivity of ZnO added BaCe0.8Zr0.1Y0.1O3-δ (BCZY) proton conducting perovskites were investigated. The additions of 0.1 to 3 wt% ZnO to BCZY promoted the sintering of the BCZY pellet samples, and the samples with ZnO showed impermeable bodies with relative densities ≥90% after firing at 1400 °C for 6 h. First-principles calculations suggest that Ba in BaZnO2 is more stable than in perovskites, and Zn is hardly soluble in BCZY. These theoretical results indicate that ZnO reacts with Ba in the BCZY perovskites. The melting points of the BaO and ZnO mixtures were approximately 1100 °C. Because their liquid phase should react with excess Y component in the perovskite, the liquid phase containing Y component enhances the densification of the doped perovskite by the liquid phase sintering. The electrical conductivities of BCZY perovskites with ZnO content ranging between 0.1 wt% and 3 wt% varied from 1.3 × 10−2 to 1.5 × 10−2 S/cm at 600 °C in an atmosphere of 3.0% H2O, 19.4% H2 and 77.6% N2. The electrical conductivities of BCZY perovskites with ZnO were comparable to those of the dense BCZY perovskite without ZnO. The present result suggests that addition of a small amount of ZnO is appropriate for enhancing the sintering and retaining the high electrical conductivity of BCZY.

Study of structural, optical and electrical properties of Nickel doped ZnO (Ni–ZnO) nanorods grown by chemical bath deposition

To investigate the effect of Nickel on ZnO thin films, doped ZnO (Ni–ZnO) thin films were synthesized using chemical bath deposition on seed layers which were first grown using the conventional spray pyrolysis method. Structural, optical and electrical properties were studied at different doping levels of Ni (0, 2, 4, 6, 8 %). All samples exhibited a highly defined (002) peak indicating a strong hexagonal crystal structure orientation. The samples showed a red shift at E2L and E2H Raman modes indicative of structural alterations. The undoped, 2 % and 4 % Ni doping levels showed lower mean roughness values compared to the 6 % and 8 % Ni doping. The Introduction of Ni into the ZnO structure appears to reduce the grain size from 167 nm to the lowest 79 nm at 2 % Ni concentration. Optical and electrical properties showed that the introduction of Ni as a dopant led to improved transmittance of up 70 % within the visible range and reduced resistivity from 3.590*10−3 (Ωcm) at undoped ZnO to 0.616*10−3 (Ωcm) 2 % Ni doped ZnO concentration.

New Template Synthesis of Anomalously Large Capacity Hard Carbon for Na‐ and K‐Ion Batteries

AbstractHard carbon (HC) is a promising negative‐electrode material for Na‐ion batteries. HC electrochemically stores Na+ ions, resulting in a non‐stoichiometric chemical composition depending on their nanoscale structure, including the carbon framework, and interstitial pores. Therefore, optimizing these structures for Na storage by altering the synthesis conditions can enhance the capacity of Na‐ion batteries. In this study, HCs using MgO, ZnO, and CaCO3 as nanopore templates are systematically investigated, and the ZnO template is found to be particularly effective. By optimizing the concentration of ZnO embedded in the carbon matrix, utilizing a blend of zinc gluconate, and zinc acetate as starting materials, the optimal ZnO‐template HC demonstrates a reversible capacity of 464 mAh g−1 (corresponding to NaC4.8) with high initial coulombic efficiency of 91.7% and low average potential of 0.18 V versus Na+/Na. Thus, a Na‐ion battery full cell consisting of Na5/6Ni1/3Fe1/6Mn1/6Ti1/3O2 and the optimized ZnO‐template HC demonstrates a remarkable energy density of 312 Wh kg−1, comparable to that of a Li‐ion battery with LiFePO4 and graphite. Moreover, the ZnO‐template HC in a K half‐cell also displays a significant capacity of 381 mAh g−1, that is, KC5.8 where the alkali content is higher than stage‐1 graphite intercalation compounds, LiC6 and KC8.

An amperometric sensor based on gamma-irradiated PANI-ZnO-NiO nanocomposite thin films for Escherichia coli detection in water

Purpose Regular monitoring of bacteria, especially Escherichia coli, in wastewater is crucial to ensure the maintenance of public health. Amperometric detection proves to be a fast, sensitive and economically viable solution for E. coli enumeration. This paper reported a prototype amperometric sensor based on PANI-ZnO-NiO nanocomposite thin films prepared by sol–gel method and irradiated with gamma ray. The purpose of this study is to investigate the sensor performance of PANI-ZnO-NiO nanocomposite thin films to detect E. coli in water. Design/methodology/approach The films were varied with different compositions of ZnO and NiO by using the formula PANI-(ZnO)1-x-(NiO)x, with x = 0.2, 0.4, 0.6 and 0.8. PANI-ZnO-NiO nanocomposite thin films were characterized by using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) to study the crystallinity and surface morphology of the films. The sensor performance was conducted using the current–voltage (I-V) measurement by testing the films in clean water and E. coli solution. Findings XRD diffractograms show the peaks of ZnO (1 0 0) and NiO (1 0 2). AFM analysis shows the surface roughness, and the grain size of PANI-ZnO-NiO thin films decreases when the concentration ratios of NiO increased. I-V curves show the difference in current flow, where the current in E. coli solution is higher than the clean water. Originality/value PANI-(ZnO)1-x-(NiO)x nanocomposite thin film with the highest concentration of ZnO performed the highest sensitivity among the other concentrations, which can be used to indicate the presence of E. coli bacteria in water.

Photocurrent Density Enhancement of DSSC with Existence of ZnO in TiO2 Based Photoanode

<p class="Abstract"><span lang="EN-US">One of the important components of a dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) is photoanode which plays a critical role serving as the center of conversion energy. Photoanode consists of transparent conducting substrate, a semiconductor layer, and dyes molecules as sensitizers. Titanium dioxide (TiO<sub>2</sub>) is widely used as a photoanode because it is a mesoporous and stable material despite its high recombination rate. To reduce the recombination rate and improve electron transport, TiO<sub>2</sub> is combined with other materials such as ZnO to form TiO<sub>2</sub>/ZnO composites. ZnO is a good choice because it has higher electron mobility than TiO<sub>2</sub> to inhibit recombination. The synthesis process of TiO<sub>2</sub>/ZnO composites was carried out using the sol-gel method with variations in the weight percentage of ZnO. The TiO<sub>2</sub>/ZnO composite was then applied as a photoanode in DSSC. The J-V measurement results shows that the DSSC with TiO<sub>2</sub>/ZnO 25wt% composite layer as the photoanode produced the highest efficiency of 0.86%. This increase in efficiency was due to an increase in the photo-current of photoanodes that have more ZnO content. The presence of ZnO leads to faster-moving electron transport, therefore reducing recombination and increasing efficiency.</span></p>

Improving FTO/ZnO/In2S3/CuInS2/Mo solar cell efficiency by optimizing thickness and carrier concentrations of ZnO, In2S3 and CuInS2 thin films using Silvaco-Atlas Software

Optimization of optical and electrical properties of active semiconducting layers is required to enhance thin film solar cells' efficiency and consequently became the cornerstone for sustainable energy production. Computational studies are one of the ways forward to optimize solar cells’ characteristics. In this study, Silvaco-Atlas, a powerful software that excels in both 2D and 3D electrical simulations of semiconductors has been used for the simulation in order to investigate the solar cell properties. The architecture of the solar cell simulated was FTO/ZnO/In2S3/CuInS2/Mo. This study aims to optimize solar cell efficiency by optimizing film thicknesses and carrier concentrations via simulation. The designed solar cell was exposed to the presence of a sun spectrum of AM1.5 from a 1kW/m2 incident power density at 300K. The thickness values of the window (ZnO), absorber (CuInS2) and buffer (In2S3) layers were varied to record a solar cell's optimum thickness. The resulting FTO/ZnO/In2S3/CuInS2/Mo solar cell formed by simulation is presented. The best efficiency and fill factor of the solar cell simulated were found to be 41.67% and 89.19%, respectively. The recorded values of current density and the open circuit voltage of the cell were 40.33mA/cm2 and 1.15 V, respectively. Additionally, the maximum power of the simulated solar cell device was 41.68 mW. Optimization results revealed that the most efficient cell found was made up of a window layer with a thickness of 0.03μm, an absorber layer with a thickness of 6.0μm and a buffer layer with a thickness of 0.2μm. The optimized carrier concentration of ZnO, In2S3 and CuInS2 was respectively 1e21 cm-3, 1e20 cm-3, 3e18 cm-3 and the optimized Al-doped ZnO value was 1e25 cm-3. The Absorption spectra indicated that the solar cell's peak absorption occurs between 350 nm and 1250 nm and presented a good external quantum efficiency (EQE) of around 84.52% to 92.83% which indicates good efficiency in the visible domain. This performance is attributed to the transparency of FTO, ZnO and good absorption of In2S3 and CuInS2 thin films.

Plasmon-induced hot-electron injection effect: mechanism of performance enhancement for ZnO MSM hybrid photodetector by introducing Ag NWs and MXene

In this paper, a performance-enhanced hybrid ultraviolet metal–semiconductor–metal photodetector (UVPD) has been produced. This device incorporates a mixed photosensitive layer consisting of MXene nanoflakes that are covered on a thin film formed by Ag nanowires (NWs) wrapped in ZnO nanoparticles. This configuration, referred to as ZnO@Ag NWs/Mxene, capitalizes on the hot electrons generated by the localized surface plasmon resonance phenomenon occurring in the Ag NWs and MXene. These hot electrons possess sufficient energy to traverse the interface depletion layer and reach the ZnO layer. Therefore, the injected hot electrons serve as additional photo carriers in the ZnO layer, thereby increasing the number of photo-generated carriers and improving the carrier concentration in ZnO. The improved UVPD device exhibits an amplified photocurrent of ∼2499.35 nA at 5 V, under a light intensity of 6.52 mW cm−2 and a wavelength of 365 nm. Simultaneously, it achieves enhanced performance indices, including an On/Off ratio of ∼984.19, a responsivity (R p) of ∼66.87 mA W−1, and a detectivity (D *) of ∼1.82 × 1011 jones. These values represent a significant improvement compared to devices based solely on the ZnO configuration, with enhancements of ∼24.90, 3.93, 23.38, and 9.33 times, respectively. Based on the obtained results, it can be inferred that employing the hot electron injection effect to design and enhance the performance of optoelectronic devices based on wide band gap semiconductors is a reasonable and effective strategy.

The Behavioral Interaction of Charged Particles via Glass Medium (ZnO:Li2O:MgO:B2O3): Mathematical Calculation

The glass compositions as ZnO: Li2O: MgO: B2O3 (ZLMB) were synthesized by melt-quenching technique, and studied physical properties such as density and molar volume. The behavior of charged particles such as proton and alpha was examined using the theoretical program by the SRIM coding simulation. The total mass stopping power (TMSP) and projected ranges (PR) were simulated via the SRIM at 0.01 MeV to 10 MeV of the energy ranges. The penetration depth and ion ranges also were simulated. The result found that density increased with increasing ZnO concentrations. In contrast, molar volume decreased when ZnO concentrations increased. However, The TMSP and PR values of proton and alpha particles showed decreased with raising density.

Comparative investigations of structural, electronic, optical, and thermoelectric properties of pure and 2 at. % Al-doped ZnO.

We comparatively investigate the properties of pure ZnO and 2 at. % Al doping concentration of ZnO, AZO, as potential candidates for specific applications. Calculations were carried out, using Wien2k package, to deduce structural, electronic, optical thermoelectric, and properties of both ZnO and AZO materials via the combination of GGA and mBJ approximations. It is shown that Al doping of ZnO (AZO) improves its optical properties; the deduced direct fundamental gap is enhanced due to the Burstein-Moss effect. Moreover, the dielectric function, at lower energies, confirms the existence of an extra strong fluctuation in the dispersive real part ɛ1(ω) and a high peak for absorptive imaginary parts ɛ2(ω) which are due to a variation in specific molecular bonding and the transition between the occupied and the non-occupied states. The critical point, observed at 2.81 eV for pure ZnO, is shifted to 3.3 eV in 2 at. % AZO, confirming a larger optical band gap. The reflectivity values slightly decreased for 2% AZO. The investigation of thermoelectric parameters as a function of chemical potential at different temperatures ranging from 300 to 900°C showed that these structures can be considered for good thermoelectric devices with (i) high absolute values of Seebeck coefficient: ׀SZnO׀ = 1.16 mV/K and ׀SAZO׀ = 0.746 mV/K, (ii) no effect of temperature on electrical conductivity but a strong effect on thermal conductivity, (iii) a high value approaching unity for the figure of merit. Hence, these properties and their improvements, introduced by Al doping of ZnO, lead specific and more uses in optoelectronics, energy, and piezoelectric applications.

Development of mid-infrared glass lens based on TeO2-ZnO-La2O3 glass system

Investigation on thermal, mechanical and optical properties is of utmost importance in designing optical glass for the development of mid-infrared camera module. In this study, two tellurite glass systems, namely the ternary TeO2 −ZnO−La2O3 (TZL) system modified with various concentrations of ZnO and the quaternary TeO2 −ZnO−La2O3 −MoO3 (TZL-Mo) system incorporated with various concentrations of MoO3, were fabricated using the melt-quenching method for mid-infrared optical glass lens. The effects of ZnO and MoO3 contents on characteristic properties of the glasses were investigated. The thermal stabilities were found to be > 117 °C in both the glass systems. The coefficients of thermal expansion decreased from 14.26 to 12.6 and 13.91–13.08 (×10−6/K) with increasing the ZnO and MoO3 contents in the TZL and TZL-Mo glass systems, respectively. Notably, the thermal stability and coefficient of thermal expansion were improved considerably with the addition of MoO3 to the ternary TeO2 −ZnO−La2O3 (TZL) tellurite glass composition. The Knoop hardness values increased from 339 to 384 and 326–371 kgf/mm2 with increasing the contents of ZnO and MoO3, respectively. The glass composition of 60TeO2 − 30ZnO− 7La2O3 − 3MoO3 was selected to produce molded glass lens using the glass molding process because of its attractive thermal and optical characteristics. The average transmittance of the glass in the range of 3–5 µm was found to be 91% after the anti-reflection coating process. Finally, the TZL-Mo3 aspherical lens was developed with diameter of 22 mm for mid-IR camera module.

Structural, morphological, optical and thermoresistive study of the polyaniline/polylactic acid/ZnO films produced by solution blow spraying for temperature sensors

The present study aimed to obtain polyaniline/polylactic acid/ZnO (PAni/PLA/ZnO) films via Solution Blow Spraying (SBSp) in order to evaluate their structural, morphological, optical and thermoresistive properties in application such as in temperature sensors. The SBSp technique is a variation of Solution Blow Spinning (SBS), allowing film deposition on any surface using pressurized air and a polymeric solution. ZnO was synthesized via combustion reaction, a method known for producing nanosized particles. PLA was incorporated in the proportion of 10 wt%, while ZnO concentrations ranged from 10% to 60 wt %. Structural analyzes were performed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) for the polymers; the morphology of the films was analyzed by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM); Ultraviolet–visible (UV-VIS) spectroscopy was performed to obtain the bandgap of the material; thermal analysis was carried out by thermogravimetry and the thermosensitive properties were evaluated by a multimeter in a muffle. XRD results confirmed that the PANi/PLA/ZnO film was obtained using the SBSp method, with crystalline phases corresponding to ZnO and PANi. SEM showed an agglomerated and porous appearance of the samples. Decomposition temperatures according to thermogravimetric analysis (TG) were in the range of 200–400 °C, showing that under this regime the films can present their thermoresistive properties without decomposing with temperature. The bandgap was in the range of 2.32–3.92 eV, confirming values of a semiconductor, and that the presence of PLA did not affect this property. Thermoresistive tests demonstrated a Negative Temperature Coefficient (NTC) behavior, indicating that the PAni/PLA/ZnO films obtained by SBSp possess thermoresistive properties suitable for low-temperature sensing applications.

Dietary supplementation of zinc oxide modulates intestinal functionality during the post-weaning period in clinically healthy piglets

BackgroundTo improve our understanding of host and intestinal microbiome interaction, this research investigated the effects of a high-level zinc oxide in the diet as model intervention on the intestinal microbiome and small intestinal functionality in clinically healthy post-weaning piglets. In study 1, piglets received either a high concentration of zinc (Zn) as zinc oxide (ZnO, Zn, 2,690 mg/kg) or a low Zn concentration (100 mg/kg) in the diet during the post weaning period (d 14–23). The effects on the piglet’s small intestinal microbiome and functionality of intestinal tissue were investigated. In study 2, the impact of timing of the dietary zinc intervention was investigated, i.e., between d 0–14 and/or d 14–23 post weaning, and the consecutive effects on the piglet’s intestinal functionality, here referring to microbiota composition and diversity and gene expression profiles.ResultsDifferences in the small intestinal functionality were observed during the post weaning period between piglets receiving a diet with a low or high concentration ZnO content. A shift in the microbiota composition in the small intestine was observed that could be characterized as a non-pathological change, where mainly the commensals inter-changed. In the immediate post weaning period, i.e., d 0–14, the highest number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in intestinal tissue were observed between animals receiving a diet with a low or high concentration ZnO content, i.e., 23 DEGs in jejunal tissue and 11 DEGs in ileal tissue. These genes are involved in biological processes related to immunity and inflammatory responses. For example, genes CD59 and REG3G were downregulated in the animals receiving a diet with a high concentration ZnO content compared to low ZnO content in both jejunum and ileum tissue. In the second study, a similar result was obtained regarding the expression of genes in intestinal tissue related to immune pathways when comparing piglets receiving a diet with a high concentration ZnO content compared to low ZnO content.ConclusionsSupplementing a diet with a pharmaceutical level of Zn as ZnO for clinically healthy post weaning piglets influences various aspects intestinal functionality, in particular in the first two weeks post-weaning. The model intervention increased both the alpha diversity of the intestinal microbiome and the expression of a limited number of genes linked to the local immune system in intestinal tissue. The effects do not seem related to a direct antimicrobial effect of ZnO.

Hydrogen plasma reduction of Zn and Pb bearing residues in an inductively coupled plasma process

The application of plasma fuming technology opens up new horizons for the treatment of zinc-bearing residues. The present work uses a lab-scale Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) setup to investigate the hydrogen plasma reduction of ZnO and PbO from the CaO-FeO-SiO2 based slags. Slag particles were melted when passing through the ICP torch, and the ZnO and PbO were reduced into Zn and Pb metal vapor by H2 molecules and H radicals in the thermal hydrogen plasma. The metal vapor condensed on the particle surface when the particles passed through the plasma torch tail due to the high cooling rate. The PbO and ZnO content increased toward the particle core, implying the PbO and ZnO reduction from the slag particle surface. The increase in H2 to Ar ratio or H2 flow rate, power input and S content of the slags accelerated the process.

Correlation between composition and adhesion properties of a zinc oxide-filled, acrylate pressure sensitive adhesive: An experimental design approach

A Box-Behnken response surface methodology (RSM) was adopted to provide a systematic insight on the adhesion properties of an acrylate-based, pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) filled with nano-zinc oxide (ZnO) particles as a function of its composition. In addition to the nano-filler morphologies (needle- or plate-like) and their content (0–10 per hundred resin, phr), concentrations of triethyl citrate (TEC, 30–50 phr) plasticizer and oxalic acid (OX, 0.5–1.5 phr) crosslinking agent were also changed with respect to the base polymer. Tack and peel strength properties were measured as adhesive performance characteristics. According to the results, ZnO content and its morphology played no significant role (P < 0.05) in adhesion performance of the compositions made. In contrast, the more plasticizer was used, the more peel strength and tack properties were achieved. OX showed an inverse effect on the tack and peel strength properties at a less statistically significant level. A removable PSA was achieved adopting the RSM methodology to develop formulations, which resulted in a removable and repositionable PSA. To understand these effects, molecular structures of the adhesive ingredients and their interactions were thoroughly discussed.