Qu, S., Hadjittofis, E., Malaret, F. orcid.org/0000-0002-5717-3629 et al. (3 more authors) (2023) Controlling simonkolleite crystallisation via metallic Zn oxidation in a betaine hydrochloride solution. Nanoscale Advances, 5 (9). pp. 2437-2452. ISSN 2516-0230
Abstract
Zinc oxide nanoparticles, with a hexagonal flake structure, are of significant interest across a range of applications including photocatalysis and biomedicine. Simonkolleite (Zn5(OH)8Cl2·H2O), a layered double hydroxide, is a precursor for ZnO. Most simonkolleite synthesis routes require precise pH adjustment of Zn-containing salts in alkaline solution, and still produce some undesired morphologies along with the hexagonal one. Additionally, liquid-phase synthesis routes, based on conventional solvents, are environmentally burdensome. Herein aqueous ionic liquid, betaine hydrochloride (betaine·HCl), solutions are used to directly oxidise metallic Zn, producing pure simonkolleite nano/microcrystals (X-ray diffraction analysis, thermogravimetric analysis). Imaging (scanning electron microscopy) showed regular and uniform hexagonal simonkolleite flakes. Morphological control, as a function of reaction conditions (betaine·HCl concentration, reaction time, and reaction temperature), was achieved. Different growth mechanisms were observed as a function of the concentration of betaine·HCl solution, both traditional classical growth of individual crystals and non-traditional growth patterns; the latter included examples of Ostwald ripening and oriented attachment. After calcination, simonkolleite's transformation into ZnO retains its hexagonal skeleton; this produces a nano/micro-ZnO with a relatively uniform shape and size through a convenient reaction route.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2023 The Author(s). Published by the Royal Society of Chemistry. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/). |
Keywords: | Bioengineering; Nanotechnology |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Engineering (Sheffield) > Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering (Sheffield) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 21 Mar 2023 14:02 |
Last Modified: | 01 Oct 2024 14:07 |
Published Version: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/d3na00108c |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1039/d3na00108c |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:197511 |