title: Biomineralization-Inspired Preparation of Zinc Hydroxide Carbonate/Polymer Hybrids and Their Conversion into Zinc Oxide Thin-Film Photocatalysts.
abstract: The development of ZnO thin films has been achieved through the conversion of zinc hydroxide carbonate thin-film crystals. Crystallization of this compound is induced by a biomineralization-inspired method with polymer-stabilized amorphous precursors. The crystals grow radially on polymer matrices, leading to the formation of zinc hydroxide carbonate/polymer thin-film hybrids that fully cover the substrate. These hybrids are converted into ZnO and retain their thin-film morphologies. The resultant ZnO thin films exhibit a preferential crystallographic orientation that is attributed to the alignment of zinc hydroxide carbonate crystals before conversion. In addition, a photocatalytic function of the ZnO thin films has been demonstrated by analyzing the oxidation reaction of 2-propanol. The biomineralization-inspired approach reported herein is a promising way to develop ZnO materials with controlled morphologies and structures for photocatalytic applications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8656, Japan.
authors.forename: Shunichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Matsumura
authors.affiliation: Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, Tokyo University of Science, Yamazaki, Noda, Chiba, 278-8510, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshimasa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Horiguchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8656, Japan.
authors.forename: Tatsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nishimura
authors.affiliation: Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, Tokyo University of Science, Yamazaki, Noda, Chiba, 278-8510, Japan.|Research Institute for Science and Technology, Tokyo University of Science, Yamazaki, Noda, Chiba, 278-8510, Japan.
authors.forename: Hideki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sakai
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8656, Japan. kato@chiral.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kato
mesh_terms: D019840:2-Propanol / Q000737:chemistry; D002254:Carbonates / Q000737:chemistry*; D002384:Catalysis; D003460:Crystallization / Q000379:methods*; D006878:Hydroxides / Q000737:chemistry*; D008027:Light; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D033362:Powder Diffraction; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction; D017967:Zinc Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D015034:Zinc Oxide / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D002254:Carbonates; D006878:Hydroxides; D011108:Polymers; D017967:Zinc Compounds; C036650:zinc carbonate; D019840:2-Propanol; C052745:zinc hydroxide; D015034:Zinc Oxide
keywords: biomineralization; organic-inorganic hybrid composites; photochemistry; thin films; zinc