Issue 47, 2021

Formation of double-cone-shaped ZnO mesocrystals by addition of ethylene glycol to ZnO dissolved choline chloride–urea deep eutectic solvents and observation of their manners of growth

Abstract

ZnO mesocrystals have been explored for various physical and chemical applications. In spite of effort by a number of researchers, it is still difficult to grow specific crystal shapes in an environmentally-friendly, simple, and large-scale fabrication pathway. In this study, we report on a facile fabrication of ellipsoidal and double-cone-shaped ZnO mesocrystals elongated along the c-axis by an ionothermal method in choline chloride–urea deep eutectic solvents (CU-DESs) with addition of ethylene glycol (EG). It was found that as high as 16.7 mass% of ZnO could dissolve in CU-DESs at a high temperature by forming zinc cyanate complexes. Addition of EG to the above concentrated ZnO dissolved CU-DESs caused precipitation of ZnO particles which were confirmed as mesocrystals with transmission electron microscope images and selected area electron diffraction patterns. The crystal growth process and shape evolution in the CU-DESs were investigated and discussed. Photoluminescence study with excitation by ultraviolet light showed that the ZnO mesocrystals showed strong ultraviolet emission and relatively weak visible emissions, suggesting their high crystal quality.

Graphical abstract: Formation of double-cone-shaped ZnO mesocrystals by addition of ethylene glycol to ZnO dissolved choline chloride–urea deep eutectic solvents and observation of their manners of growth

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
09 Aug. 2021
Accepted
13 Okt. 2021
First published
21 Okt. 2021

CrystEngComm, 2021,23, 8367-8378

Formation of double-cone-shaped ZnO mesocrystals by addition of ethylene glycol to ZnO dissolved choline chloride–urea deep eutectic solvents and observation of their manners of growth

H. Wagata, G. Harada, E. Nakashima, M. Asaga, T. Watanabe, Y. Tanaka, M. Tada and K. Yubuta, CrystEngComm, 2021, 23, 8367 DOI: 10.1039/D1CE01049B

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements