Simplistic Synthesis and Enhanced Photocatalytic Performance of Spherical ZnO Nanoparticles Prepared from Arabinose Solution

Abstract

Abstract Strenuous efforts have been employed to prepare zinc oxide (ZnO) with eco-friendly methods; however, few studies have reported the fabrication of ZnO using a sustainable procedure. In this study, spherical ZnO nanoparticles were successfully fabricated for photocatalysis applications using a simple and eco-friendly method using an arabinose sugar solution. The ZnO nanoparticles with a wurtzite structure were obtained by combining zinc nitrate and arabinose in water, followed by heating, evaporation, and calcinations at different annealing temperatures. The annealed ZnO photocatalysts were characterised via X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The findings revealed a hexagonal wurtzite structure and good crystallinity with crystallite size increasing from 18 to 31 nm by means of an increase in the annealing temperature. The photocatalytic performance was examined to determine the degradation of mix dye waste. The spherical ZnO nanoparticles showed mix pollutant degradation of 84 % in 25 min at 400 °C.