In-Situ Growth of ZnO Whiskers on Ti(2)ZnC MAX Phases

ZnO whiskers have many applications, such as in medical and photocatalysis fields. In this study, an unconventional preparation approach is reported, realizing the in-situ growth of ZnO whiskers on Ti(2)ZnC. The weak bonding between the layer of Ti(6)C-octahedron and the Zn-atom layers leads to the easy extraction of Zn atoms from Ti(2)ZnC lattice points, resulting in the formation of ZnO whiskers on the Ti(2)ZnC surface. This is the first time that ZnO whiskers have been found to grow in-situ on Ti(2)ZnC substrate. Further, this phenomenon is amplified when the size of the Ti(2)ZnC grains is mechanically reduced by ball-milling, which bodes a promising route to prepare ZnO in-situ on a large scale. Additionally, this finding can also help us better understand the stability of Ti(2)ZnC and the whiskering mechanism of MAX phases.