High-Speed Shearing: An Ultra-Fast Internal Energy Accumulation Method for Nucleation of Snzno in Photocatalysis

Abstract

Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles and their derivatives, appreciated for their cost-effectiveness, simplicity in synthesis, and versatile applications, have garnered considerable attention. However, unraveling the nucleation and growth mechanisms of ZnO nanoparticles remains a formidable challenge. By comparing the Magnetic Stirring Synthesis (MSS) and High-Speed Shearing (HSS) methods, we conducted time-dependent calculations of pressure, velocity at various positions in the solution. Under the powerful shearing force, molecules could accumulate up to 174 eV in HSS instead of 0.81 eV in MSS. Molecules could achieve enough energy for nucleation in 1.03 μs. HSS, utilizing a high-speed rotor for robust shear forces, not only modifies nucleation patterns but also facilitates effective mixing in multi-element systems. Sn1-xZnxO1+x nanoparticles prepared through HSS display uniform size, markedly reduced agglomeration, homogeneous element distribution, and a more pronounced bandgap change, causing a decrease in photocatalytic activity to the original 11.2%

Keywords: High Speed Shearing, Nucleation, SnZnO, Nanoparticles, Photocatalysis