Synthesis, Characterization, and Photocatalytic Activity of ZnO Nanomaterials Prepared by a Green, Nonchemical Route

Abstract EN

An eco-friendly method for the synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles was studied.

Zinc acetate precursor was thermally decomposed without adding any chemical agents.

The synthesized materials were thoroughly characterized by various analytical tools.

The results indicated that the synthesized ZnO nanomaterials have a wurtzite structure.

The estimated crystallite sizes of the materials obtained at 450, 550, 650, and 750°C (named as ZnO-450, ZnO-550, ZnO-650, and ZnO-750) were 33, 36, 38, and 42 nm, respectively.

The morphology of the nanomaterials was revealed to be affected by calcination temperature, causing the formation of both nanoparticles and nanorods with different sizes and shapes.

The materials were applied as photocatalysts for methylene blue (MB) decomposition under ultraviolet (UV) light.

Results showed that the decomposition efficiency strongly depends on UV illumination time, size, and morphology of ZnO nanomaterials.

The highest MB decomposition (99.4%) is obtained when using ZnO-750.

The photocatalytic decomposition follows the first-order reaction.

The reaction rate constants corresponding to the MB decomposition process with the presence of ZnO-450, ZnO-550, ZnO-650, and ZnO-750 are 0.0512, 0.0636, 0.1077, and 0.1286 min-1, respectively.