Synthesis and applications of zinc oxide for removal of various pollutants: A review

The versatility of zinc oxide applications in the removal of various pollutants has attracted a wide interest of researchers in the past decade. Numerous studies reported on zinc oxide synthesis pathways and resulting nanoparticle morphologies, applications, formation mechanisms and synthesis parameters. In this review the reported zinc oxide synthesis methods are classified into chemical, physical and biological routes; they are evaluated in terms of the required chemicals, synthesis conditions and the resulting morphologies and properties of zinc oxide. The chemical route of zinc oxide synthesis covers precipitation, micro-emulsion, solgel, solvothermal and hydrothermal paths. The physical route includes laser ablation and high energy ball milling, while the biological route covers plant extracts and microbe mediated synthesis. The mechanisms of zinc oxide formation of the mentioned routes are based on one or more of the following processes: particle nucleation, diffusional growth, Ostwald ripening, particle aggregation and sintering. The most influencing synthesis parameters overall are temperature, drying duration and additives’ effect. Higher temperatures (>200°C) commonly produce larger particles of zinc oxide (> 80 nm); the prolong duration (> 60 min) often results in the agglomeration and sintering of zinc oxide particles. However, additives may mitigate agglomeration extent. Overall, the chemical route is more preferable due to its flexibility that is also linked to the greater variability of zinc oxide particles. The physical method produces more consistent zinc oxide particles but requires higher energy inputs. The biological method is very promising and associated with low chemicals consumptions and good quality of zinc oxide.

Computational simulation a system of waterborne polyurethane matrix by β-C induction with ZnO and CaCO3 particles

This work includes the search for the development of a composite of a WPU (waterborne polyurethane), β-CD (β-Cyclodextrin), PZnO (zinc oxide particles), and the presence of CaCO3, to obtain new properties such as adhesion to multiple substrates of organic and inorganic origin. Therefore, a development sequence was proposed: Computational development: conformation of the polymeric matrix (with the intermediary polymers) and simulation of the interaction between β-CD and PZnO and Ca+2 and CO3-2 ions, as well as insertions in β-CD, computational simulations were carried out with the help of ACD LABS™ (free version) software and by molecular dynamics with GROMACS™. With the above, we were able to determine properties such as interfacial tensions, surface tensions, and contact angles, and degrees of solvation and stability in waterborne emulsions. Therefore, it is important to point out that one of the main contributions of this research proposal is that there are no studies that combine these materials.

Antimicrobial studies and characterization of ZnO nanoparticles by chemical method

Nowadays, nanotechnology is receiving worldwide recognition due to being its applications in various fields. Medium temperature and eco-friendly methods have shown great potential among nanoparticle synthesis. Many reducing agents are available for the synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles; here we presented a simple solution method for the development of nano crystalline Zinc Oxide particles. Zinc acetate dihydrate was used as a starting material and synthesized particles were characterized by UV-Visible, FT IR, SEM, and EDAX analysis. Characterization studies revealed hexagonal nano crystalline Zinc Oxide particles with excellent morphological properties. The synthesized nanoparticles exhibit excellent antimicrobial activities against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria.

Composite materials fabricated from a conductive polymer with additions of battery waste powders and recycled copper wires

A new multifunctional composite material manufactured from vinyl-acrylic resin and mixed with battery waste powders containing graphite, manganese oxide, and zinc oxide particles has been developed. The battery waste (BW) was obtained from a recycling company as a byproduct from the grinding process of primary batteries (alkaline and zinc carbon batteries). In addition, 24 and 28 AWG copper wires (CuW) were obtained from recycling circuit waste, which were added in 5, 10 and 15 wt% contents to form composite materials, with all CuW of 2 mm length. These formulations were characterized using scanning electronic microscopy, compression, density, and piezoresistivity tests. When copper was added to the composite material, the behavior of the sensor was linear, a characteristic desired in piezoresistive sensors since they do not need any additional configuration to obtain said linearity. As the percentage of copper increased, the sensitivity of the sensor decreased and the conductivity increased.

Pollutants Sorbent Made of Cotton Fabric Modified with Chitosan-Glutaraldehyde and Zinc Oxide Particles

The paper reports on the preparation of composite materials by modifying cotton fabric with a layer of crosslinked glutaraldehyde chitosan containing zinc oxide particles. The ability of chitosan to form complexes with zinc ions has been used to control the size, structure, and distribution of the particles on the fiber surface. The three different obtained materials have been characterized by optical and scanning electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and fluorescent analysis. It has been found that the interaction of the ZnO particles with the functional groups of chitosan affects its swelling ability in water and thus determines its sorption properties. The capacity of the materials to wipe water-soluble (textile reactive dye) and water-insoluble (crude oil and oil products) contaminants has been compared. The effect that the amount of zinc oxide has on the ability of the materials to remove contaminants has also been studied. The possibility for adsorption–desorption of the crude oil and reuse of the sorbent material has been investigated as well.

Task-Specific Ionic Liquids with Lactate Anion Applied to Improve ZnO Dispersibility in the Ethylene-Propylene-Diene Elastomer

Task-specific ionic liquids (TSILs) are ionic liquids with structures and, consequently, properties and behaviors designed for particular applications. In this work, task-specific ILs with alkylammonium or benzalkonium cations and carboxyl groups in the form of lactate anions were used to promote the homogeneous dispersion of the curatives in the elastomer matrix. The reaction of carboxyl groups of TSILs with zinc oxide, which acts as a vulcanization activator, was confirmed. This interaction improved the solubility and dispersibility of zinc oxide particles in the ethylene-propylene-diene (EPDM) monomer matrix, which consequently affected the curing characteristics of rubber compounds. Most importantly, TSILs increased the efficiency of vulcanization by shortening the time, lowering the temperature and increasing the enthalpy of this process, while maintaining safe processing of elastomer composites. EPDM vulcanizates containing TSILs with lactate anion were characterized by satisfactory functional properties.