ZnO nanorod composite with quenched photoactivity for UV protection application

Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles (NPs) are common constituents of personal care products including cosmetics and sunscreens because they efficiently absorb ultraviolet (UV) light and appear highly transparent on the skin. However, their inherent photoactivity has an adverse effect to cause photoinduced toxicity to skin cells and needs to be quenched in this context. The photoactivity of ZnO NPs may be reduced through introducing coatings or dopants. Here we propose an alternative approach by synthesizing ZnO nanocomposites using a one-pot wet chemical route. The composite containing ZnO nanorods and layered basic zinc acetate (LBZA) significantly quenched photoactivity and this quenching was attributed to the presence of LBZA. The ZnO nanorods have uniform morphology with an average length of 68.9 +/- 19.2 nm and an average diameter of 18.4 +/- 2.7 nm. LBZA has a molecular structure of Zn (OH) (1.6)(CH3-COO)(0.4.)0.4H(2)O and was observed as a flake-like thin film. The reported nanocomposite is promising to mitigate the effects of ZnO's photoactivity and may provide a means for reducing or eliminating any UV-induced cellular damage. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.