Synthesis of ZnO sunscreen composite using lamellar self-assembly 6-PGME as template

This paper mainly investigated the controllable preparation of well-dispersed ZnO nanoparticles by a surfactant-assisted method which selected laminated 6-polyglycerol monostearate (6-PGME) supermicelle as template. Typically, nano-ZnO particles confined in 6-PGME (6-PGME-ZnO) exhibited promising ultraviolet (UV) absorption with a blue-shift in comparison with the conventional bulk ZnO. Notably, the as-prepared 6-PGME-ZnO particles could be easily dispersed in sweet almond, jojoba oil and/or evening primrose oil as sunscreen agent. The physicochemical properties of 6-PGME-ZnO sample were further characterized to elucidate its relationship with adsorption capacity. This work might provide an alternative and green route for the development of ZnO-based nanomaterials, which have remarkable potential application in anti-UV fields.