Influence of ZnO Morphology on the Functionalization Efficiency of Nanostructured Arrays with Hemoglobin for CO2 Capture

Abstract

In this study, nanostructured ZnO arrays were synthesized by an accessible thermal oxidation (TO) methodology. The Zn films were chemically etched with nitric acid (HNO3) and then oxidized in a furnace at 500 °C for 5 h. Two different morphologies were achieved by modifying the HNO3 concentration in the etching process: (a) ZnO grass-like nanostructures and (b) rod-like nanostructures, with an etching process in HNO3 solution at 2 and 8 M concentration, respectively. The physical and chemical properties of the samples were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and Raman spectroscopy. Both morphologies were functionalized with hemoglobin, and a difference was found in the efficiency of functionalization, which was monitored by UV–Vis spectroscopy. The sample with the highest efficiency was the ZnO grass-like nanostructures. Afterward, the capture of carbon dioxide was evaluated by monitoring a sodium carbonate solution interacting with the as-functionalized samples. The evaluation was analyzed by UV–Vis spectroscopy and the results showed a CO2 capture of 98.3% and 54% in 180 min for the ZnO grass-like and rod-like nanostructures, respectively.

Bryophyte-Bioinspired Nanoporous AAO/C/MgO Composite for Enhanced CO2 Capture: The Role of MgO

“…The CO 2 capture efficiency of AAO/C/MgO nanostructures was rigorously evaluated following the methodology outlined by Mendoza-Sánchez et al [ 7 ]. This involved exposing the samples to CO 2 generated from the reaction of sodium carbonate (Na 2 CO 3 ) with hydrochloric acid (HCl), yielding sodium chloride (NaCl), water (H 2 O), and carbon dioxide (CO 2 ).…”

“…Within the realm of artificial photosynthesis, a critical aspect is the development of materials geared towards the efficient physisorption of CO 2 . The focus is on synthesizing an active compound that can effectively capture CO 2 through physical adsorption mechanisms [ 7 ].…”

Novel ZnO-Based Nanostructures: Synthesis, Characterization and Applications

“…In their study, Mendoza-Sánchez et al [7] used an accessible thermal oxidation technique to synthesize the nanostructured ZnO arrays. Two different morphologies were achieved, ZnO grass-like and ZnO cane-like nanostructures, allowing them to study the influence of ZnO nanostructure morphology on the functionalization efficiency of nanostructured arrays with hemoglobin for CO 2 capture.…”