Highly efficient palladium-zinc oxide nanoparticles synthesized by biogenic methods: Characterization, hydrogen production and photocatalytic activities

Abstract

In this study, palladium-zinc oxide nanoparticles (Pd@ZnO NPs) from biomass were synthesized by the biogenic method. The synthesized Pd@ZnO NPs were characterized by UV–Vis, FTIR, TEM, SEM, and XRD characterization techniques. According to the TEM analysis results, NPs have a spherical structure and an average size of 8.163 nm. According to the XRD results, it was observed that the mean crystalline size of the NPs was lower than the TEM analysis. Then, hydrogen production efficiency and photocatalytic efficiency were examined to observe the catalytic efficiency of NPs. The average reusability of Pd@ZnO NPs was found to be 74% after the four cycles. According to the measurements obtained, the Ea, ΔH, and ΔS values of Pd@ZnO NPs were found to be 37.76 kJ/mol, 35.23 kJ/mol, and -172.65 J/mol.K, respectively. In addition, 75% efficiency was obtained in photodegradation studies against Rhodamine B dye using sunlight irradiation. This study can be a basis for studies on the production of edible and sustainable nontoxic energy and the removal of dyestuffs from wastewater to prevent the pollution of the environment.