Zn ₂ SnO ₄ ternary metal oxide for ultraviolet radiation filter application: a comparative study with TiO ₂ and ZnO

Abstract

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation causes serious health risks. Inorganic metal oxides, such as titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) and zinc oxide (ZnO), have long been recognized for their effectiveness as UV radiation filters/blockers in sunscreen formulations. TiO 2 and ZnO as UV-blocking materials have some limitations and issues such as producing harmful radicals and toxicity, respectively. As a result, there is a growing need to develop efficient and safe UV-blocking materials to overcome these limitations associated with the conventional TiO 2 and ZnO materials. Zinc stannate (Zn 2 SnO 4 ), as a ternary metal oxide, is expected to be a promising candidate due to its optical properties and potential for UV-blocking capability. This study presents a comprehensive investigation into the development and characterization of Zn 2 SnO 4 as a potential alternative UV filter to TiO 2 and ZnO. The fundamental characteristics, including structural, optical, and photocatalytic characteristics, as well as cell viability, were investigated for two Zn 2 SnO 4 morphologies: cubic aggregate Zn 2 SnO 4 nanoparticles (ZTO CANP) and Zn 2 SnO 4 nanoparticles (ZTO NP), which were compared with the performance of TiO 2 nanoparticles (TiO 2 NP) and ZnO nanoparticles (ZnO NP). Interestingly, in addition to their promising UVB and partial UVA blocking properties, ZTO CANP and ZTO NP were found to be relativity photocatalytically inactive materials, which means they produce less free radical species as in the case of TiO 2 NP, and they cannot be considered as toxic materials as in the case of ZnO NP. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first direct comparison study examining the performance of Zn 2 SnO 4 ternary metal oxide for its potential use as a UV filter. Further research and optimization need to be conducted on these materials, particularly on ZTO CANP as a promising alternative UV filter.

Innovative surfactant-free synthesis of core–shell SiO2/ZnO particles: rapid ultrasonication and photocatalytic inhibition

“…[1][2][3][4] Zinc-based materials exhibit signicant potential in UV shielding, primarily, owing to their wide bandgap of approximately 3.36 eV. 5,6 The inherent properties of ZnO particles further enhance their suitability for application in UV Widiyastuti et al 29 prepared SiO 2 /ZnO nanoparticles using a ame spray-drying method without the addition of any surfactant, demonstrating a good UV-blocking material with high PL intensity. However, the produced particles had a noncore-shell morphology and showed agglomeration.…”