Growth of Nanostructured and Functional Materials - Mesoporous ZnO nanocrystals

Mesoporous ZnO nanocrystals

Mesoporous ZnO nanostructures are extremely interesting due to their good biocompatibility and because they can be synthesized in different nanostructured forms.

Porous single-crystal ZnO platelets and nanobelts are obtained by using ZnS(en)0.5 (en=ethylenediamine) nanocrystals as the precursors. These layered O-I hybrid nanostructures are synthesized by a solvothermal route and then thermally annealed. The topotactic trasnformation of ZnS(en)0.5 into ZnS first and then into ZnO yields porous ZnO nanocrystals with pore sizes ranging from a few nanometer to a few tens of nanometers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The synthesis of hybrid platelets allows the large scale production of these nanostructures in form of powder (a few grams per growth run in a lab-scale reactor).

Highly porous ZnO nanobelts are obtained by calcinating ZnS(en)0.5 hybrid nanobelts synthesized through a solvothermal route where a Zn layer deposited on a proper substrate served as both the Zn source and growth substrate. This procedure offers the possibility to pattern the NS distribution, which is necessary whenever controlling the NS placement is required for the deposition of contacts in device fabrication or integration of different devices on the same substrate

 

 

 

 

 

The above porous nanostructures are currently investigated for use in gas sensing and photovoltaics.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We can offer

• nano-material synthesis protocols
• new  material production
• related prototype development
• material diagnostics

Highlights

De Marco, L; Calestani, D; Qualtieri, A; Giannuzzi, R; Manca, M; Ferro, P; Gigli, G; Listorti, A; Mosca, R
“Single crystal mesoporous ZnO platelets as efficient photoanodes for sensitized solar cells“
Sol. Energy Mater. Sol. Cells 168, 227–233 (2017)

Fabbri, F; Nasi, L; Fedeli, P; Ferro, P; Salviati, G; Mosca, R; Calzolari, A; Catellani, A
“S-induced modifications of the optoelectronic properties of ZnO mesoporous nanobelts"
Sci. Rep., 6, 27948 (1-8) (2016)

Nasi, L; Calestani, D; Fabbri, F; Ferro, P; Besagni, T; Fedeli, P; Licci, F; Mosca, R
“Mesoporous single-crystal ZnO nanobelts: supported preparation and patterning”
Nanoscale 5, 1060-1066 (2013)

Nasi, L; Calestani; D, Besagni, T; Ferro, P; Fabbri, F; Licci, F; Mosca, R
ZnS and ZnO Nanosheets from ZnS(en)0.5 Precursor: Nanoscale Structure and Photocatalytic Properties”
J.Phys. Chem. C, 116, 6960–6965 (2012)