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Synthesis of zinc oxide nanoplates and their use for hydrogen sulfide adsorption

  • Original Paper: Sol-gel and hybrid materials for energy, environment and building applications
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Abstract

We present the synthetic procedure for the formation of zinc oxide nanoplates with 80–200 nm diameters and 10–30 nm thicknesses via a sol–gel method. Due to the nanoplates being thin, they were tested for their ability to adsorb H2S, a toxic gas commonly produced as a byproduct in industrial processes. Their sorption capacity was compared against ZnO nanoparticles and prisms. The nanoplates proved to be superior sorbents. Characterization of the ZnO materials before and after sulfurization was carried out with X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analysis (BET), and X-ray dispersive spectrometry (EDX). The sulfurization of ZnO nanoplates, carried out at 400 °C, averaged 32 g S per 100 g sorbent, comparable to current sorbents and reaching 80% of the theoretical maximum capacity. Conversion back to ZnO was achieved by heating the material under air at 600 °C. The nanoplate structure with its large surface area promotes hydrogen sulfide sorption.

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Acknowledgements

Thanks to Jonathan Lynch for assistance in obtaining ICP data, Dr. Jaron Hansen for allowing access to the H2S apparatus, Dr. Stacey Smith for assistance in obtaining XRD patterns, Baiyu Huang for assistance with BET analysis, and Paul Minson, Michael Standing, and Jeffrey Farrer of the BYU microscopy lab for assistance with SEM and EDX. Additionally, thanks to the BYU Undergraduate Research Award (URA) program for providing financial support.

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Funding from Brigham Young University was received.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, 84602, USA

    Brent R. Dearden, Austin C. Edwards, Zach T. Evans, Brielle Woolsey, Charles R. Blair, Nicholas G. Harrison & Roger G. Harrison

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  1. Brent R. Dearden
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  2. Austin C. Edwards
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  3. Zach T. Evans
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  4. Brielle Woolsey
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  7. Roger G. Harrison
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Correspondence to Roger G. Harrison.

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Dearden, B.R., Edwards, A.C., Evans, Z.T. et al. Synthesis of zinc oxide nanoplates and their use for hydrogen sulfide adsorption. J Sol-Gel Sci Technol 101, 279–286 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10971-021-05686-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10971-021-05686-9

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