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Growth of ZnO Nanostructures on Biopolymer Films



Author(s)

Bayram Kilic¹, Didem Omay², Ergin Kosa³, Levent Trabzon³ and Huseyin Kizil⁴

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DOI:10.17265/2161-6213/2012.12.001

1. Department of Energy Systems Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Yalova University, Yalova, 77100 Turkey
2. Department of Chemical and Process Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Yalova University, Yalova, 77100 Turkey
3. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, İstanbul Technical University, İstanbul, 34437 Turkey
4. Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Faculty of Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering, İstanbul Technical University, Maslak, İstanbul, 34469 Turkey

In the present study, ZnO nanostructures were grown onto biopolymer films by hydrothermal method and physical and thermal properties of the ZnO nanostructures on the biopolymer were examined. Structural and optical characterizations of the bio-nanostuructures showed that morphology and thermal properties of the nanostructures changed as a function of pH value. It was found that 1D and 3D architectures having average diameters of 50-250 nm and 5-10 μm in length can be built high-purity onto biopolymer structure. According to tagged graphics (TGA) and derivative thermogravimetric analysis (DTG) results, bio-nanostructures have about four-fold decrease in their degradation rate compare to that of pure biopolymer material. Bio-nanostructures promise a new approach for growing nanostructures that could be used in solar cells and its applications.

Dye sensitized solar cell, ZnO, biopolymer, nanowires, nanorods, nanoflower.