Nanoparticle Shape Control
Zinc oxide (ZnO) is an important wide band gap semiconductor material with good transparency, excellent physical, chemical and thermal stability, as well as room temperature luminescence. Additionally, it is possible to produce ZnO in various shapes: spheres, rods, wires, flowers, etc.. This has increased the interest of using especially 1-dimensional ZnO nanoparticles in a broad variety of applications, such as reinforcing filler in elastomers, polymer composites, electronics, sensors, displays and actuator devices.
Most synthesis methods for 1-dimensional ZnO nanoparticles suffer from the lack of scalability. Flame spray pyrolysis (FSP) is thus an attractive option as it allows production of different sized and shaped ZnO nanoparticles at several kg/h. However, it seems that ZnO nanorods only form under specific conditions in FSP. The aim of this project is to gain better understanding of ZnO formation and growth mechanisms and to optimize synthesis conditions for ZnO nanorods. Product particles are then characterized and performance-tested in various applications including hydrogen generation.
Relevant References:
- Height M.J., Madler L., Pratsinis S.E. and Krumeich F. (2006). Nanorods of ZnO made by flame spray pyrolysis. Chemistry of Materials, 18, 572-578.
- Hembram K., Sivaprakasam D., Rao T.N. and Wegner K. (2013). Large-scale manufacture of ZnO nanorods by flame spray pyrolysis. Journal of Nanoparticle Research, 15.
- Hirschwald W. and Stolze F. (1972). Kinetics of the Thermal Dissociation of Zinc Oxide. Zeitschrift Fur Physikalische Chemie Neue Folge, 77, 21-42.
- Strobel R. and Pratsinis S.E. (2011). Effect of solvent composition on oxide morphology during flame spray pyrolysis of metal nitrates. Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 13, 9246-9252.
- Tani T., Madler L. and Pratsinis S.E. (2002). Homogeneous ZnO nanoparticles by flame spray pyrolysis. Journal of Nanoparticle Research, 4, 337-343.
- Wallace R., Brown A.P., Brydson R., Wegner K. and Milne S.J. (2013). Synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles by flame spray pyrolysis and characterisation protocol. Journal of Materials Science, 48, 6393-6403.