title: Zinc Oxide-Containing Porous Boron-Carbon-Nitrogen Sheets from Glycine-Nitrate Combustion: Synthesis, Self-Cleaning, and Sunlight-Driven Photocatalytic Activity.
abstract: We developed a single-step thermal method that enables successful inclusion of ZnO components in the porous boron-carbon-nitrogen (BCN) framework to form a new class of functional hybrid. ZnO-containing BCN hybrids were prepared by treating a mixture of B2O3, glycine, and zinc nitrate at 500 °C. Glycine-nitrate decomposition along with B2O3 acts as a source for ZnO-BCN formation. The incorporation of ZnO onto BCN has extended the photoresponse of ZnO in the visible region, which makes ZnO-BCN a preferable photocatalyst relative to ZnO upon sunlight exposure. It is interesting to note that as-prepared 2D ZnO-BCN sheets dispersed in PDMS form a stable coating over aluminum alloys. The surface exhibited a water contact angle (CA) of 157.6° with 66.6 wt % ZnO-BCN in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and a water droplet (7 μL) roll-off angle of <6° and also demonstrates oil fouling resistant superhydrophobicity. In brief, the present study focuses on the gram scale synthesis of a new class of sunlight-driven photocatalyst and also its application toward the development of superhydrophobic and oleophobic coating.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Innovation in Energy Research (CIER), CSIR-Central Electrochemical Research Institute , Karaikudi 630006, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bharathidasan
authors.affiliation: Centre for Innovation in Energy Research (CIER), CSIR-Central Electrochemical Research Institute , Karaikudi 630006, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: Aditya
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mandalam
authors.affiliation: Centre for Innovation in Energy Research (CIER), CSIR-Central Electrochemical Research Institute , Karaikudi 630006, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Balasubramanian
authors.affiliation: Centre for Innovation in Energy Research (CIER), CSIR-Central Electrochemical Research Institute , Karaikudi 630006, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dhandapani
authors.affiliation: Centre for Innovation in Energy Research (CIER), CSIR-Central Electrochemical Research Institute , Karaikudi 630006, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sathiyanarayanan
authors.affiliation: Centre for Innovation in Energy Research (CIER), CSIR-Central Electrochemical Research Institute , Karaikudi 630006, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: Sundar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mayavan
keywords: combustion synthesis; photocatalytic activity; self-cleaning; superhydrophobic; zinc oxide