Abstract
In this study, economical, harmless and environmentally friendly zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized by using the co-precipitation method. X-ray diffraction confirmed the presence of ZnO with a hexagonal structure. Scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy results revealed ZnO with plate- and chain-like structures and high elemental purity. UV–visible spectroscopy recorded an absorption peak at 422 nm. The visible region absorption facilitated an increased absorption of light energy from sunlight. The photocatalytic performance of the prepared ZnO NPs was calculated by the degradation of both cationic dyes, i.e. methylene blue (MB) and rhodamine B and anionic dye methyl orange under sunlight. The degradation and mineralization efficiencies of MB were 98.1% and 91.96%, respectively. Additionally, the ZnO photocatalyst was reused up to four times for the degradation of dyes. This work could create a new pathway for futuristic development of sunlight-driven degradation of anionic and cationic dyes with ZnO NPs and resolve the worldwide photocatalytic and wastewater remediation issues.
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Acknowledgements
The authors thank the Anna Centenary Research Fellowship (ACRF) (Grant No: CFR/ACRF/2015/27) Anna University, Chennai, India, for giving financial assistance to do this study. The authors extend thanks to Dr. S. Sivanesan, Professor, DAST, Anna University, for providing the UV–visible spectrometer, IIT Madras SAIF & Chemistry, MNIT-MRC-Jaipur, for providing the analytical support.
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Stanley, R., Jebasingh, J.A. & Vidyavathy, S.M. Cost-effective and sunlight-driven degradation of anionic and cationic dyes with pure ZnO nanoparticles. Int. J. Environ. Sci. Technol. 19, 11249–11262 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-022-04282-w
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-022-04282-w