Morphology and concentration-dependent thermal diffusivity of biofunctionalized zinc oxide nanostructures using dual-beam thermal lens technique

Nanofluids with suitable heat transfer properties were found to be applied in thermal insulators, transport, nanodevices, medicine, etc. Their heat transfer properties are influenced by the particle size, morphology, and concentration of the nanoparticles present in the nanofluids. Nanofluids of different morphologies of zinc oxide such as nanospheres, nanoflowers, and nanorods were synthesized and their thermal properties were evaluated using a dual-beam thermal lens technique. All these nanofluids were found to exhibit tunable thermal diffusivity depending on concentration. The nanofluids with flower-like morphology show maximum deviation in diffusivity due to the layered structure and the increased surface area. As compared to pristine zinc oxide nanofluids, casein-capped zinc oxide nanofluids show excellent thermal insulation properties at 60 mu g/ml. The findings suggest that biofunctionalized zinc oxide nanofluid is a promising candidate for a variety of thermal applications.

Automated summary

Nanofluids with suitable heat transfer properties have been found to be applicable in various fields. The heat transfer properties of these nanofluids are affected by the particle size, morphology, and concentration of nanoparticles. Different morphologies of zinc oxide nanofluids were synthesized and evaluated for their thermal properties. The findings suggest that casein-capped zinc oxide nanofluids exhibit excellent thermal insulation properties and have potential applications in thermal-related industries.