ZnO Whiskers and Belts in Chestnut Husk-Like Structures: Synthesis and Proof of Chemomechanical Transduction

The preparation of chestnut husk-like ZnO starting from Zn powders is described, pointing out the role of ZnO_1−x seeds in the self-catalytic liquid–solid growth process. The final architecture is made up of ZnO whiskers stemming from ZnO platelets which are self-assembled into spheroidal agglomerates. Whiskers can be converted into belts by using polyvinylpyrrolidone and configurations exhibiting whiskers and belts on the same husk are obtained through a sequential growth procedure. Polystyrene microspheres are employed in Raman microscopy proof of concept experiments to demonstrate the potential of ZnO whiskers in transduction of chemomechanical interactions, which opens promising perspectives for in-vivo bioapplications.