ZnFe2O4 incorporated kapok fiber in photoelectrochemical application.

What is it about?

PEC applications involve the conversion of light energy into electrical energy, and metal oxide semiconductors (MOS), such as ZnFe2O4, have been shown to be efficient at this conversion. However, to improve the performance of MOS materials in PEC applications, researchers have been looking for ways to modify the surface of the material to enhance its light harvesting and charge transfer capabilities. The authors of this research paper propose to incorporate bio-templated kapok fiber into surface modified ZnFe2O4 nanocomposites. Kapok is a type of plant fiber that is known for its high mechanical strength and hydrophobic nature. By incorporating kapok fiber into the ZnFe2O4 nanocomposites, the authors hope to improve the stability and light harvesting capabilities of the material. To synthesize the nanocomposites, the authors used a bio-templating technique, where the fibers of kapok plant were used as a template to control the growth of the ZnFe2O4 material. This allows for precise control over the size, shape and crystallinity of the resulting material. The authors then characterized the physical and chemical properties of the resulting nanocomposites, and evaluated their performance in PEC applications. They found that the incorporation of the bio-templated kapok fiber led to improved stability and light harvesting capabilities of the ZnFe2O4 nanocomposites. Additionally, The authors also discovered that the PEC performance of the nanocomposite was higher than that of the ZnFe2O4 alone, this was attributed to the enhanced stability and light harvesting capability of the material.

Featured Image

Photo by Arnaud Mesureur on Unsplash

Photo by Arnaud Mesureur on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Bio-templating is a valuable technique to control the growth of the ZnFe2O4 material, when incorporated with kapok fiber, enhancing the stability and light-harvesting capabilities of the material. The resulting material has shown improved performance in PEC applications.

Perspectives