Bio-Inspired Conversion of CO2 to Nanoscaled Hydro-Zincite Mediated via Zea Mays Saccharata
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The potential for bio-inspired conversion of CO 2 to single phase Hydrozincite Zn 5 (CO 3 ) 2 (OH) 6 was confirmed for the first time in this contribution utilising aqueous extracts of Zea Mays var. saccharata (ZMS). The latter has been a successful chelating/reduction agent. Under ambient circumstances (room temperature & atmospheric pressure), this novel method produced single phase crystalline Hydrozincite Zn 5 (CO 3 ) 2 (OH) 6 with an average crystallite size of 38.5 nm. Furthermore, by including carbonate, this process provides a possible route for CO 2 capture. The UV-VIS-DRS, PL, FT-IR, XRD, and SEM-EDS studies sustained the potential of the bio-engineered nanoscaled Hydrozincite Zn 5 (CO 3 ) 2 (OH) 6 as a high reflecting material (Diffuse reflectance > 85%) & an effective blue luminescence (λ Max Emission ≈ 457.3 nm). Electrochemical properties were investigated in 1 M NaOH electrolyte using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). CV studies demonstrated a significant increase in current response with distinct Faradaic peaks at + 0.07 V, + 0.18 V, and − 0.16 V (vs Ag|AgCl), confirming electrocatalytic activity of the nanoparticles. This was further corroborated by EIS, which showed a substantial reduction in charge transfer resistance (R ct ) from 845.84 kΩ for the bare glassy carbon electrode (GCE) to 94.30 kΩ for the Zn 5 (CO 3 ) 2 (OH) 6 modified GCE, indicating significantly improved charge transfer kinetics. These results demonstrate a scalable bio-engineering route for synthesizing single phase crystalline hydrozincite Zn 5 (CO 3 ) 2 (OH) 6 nanoparticles with favorable opto-electrochemical properties, positioning them as promising candidates for applications in CO 2 conversion, optoelectronics & catalysis.
