Photocatalytic Activity of ZnO Nanoparticles on the Degradation of Organic Dyes Under Solar Light

Abstract

Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles prepared using simple co-precipitation method are characterized and photocatalytic activity is tested on the degradation of methylene blue and rhodamine B organic pollutants. Morphological and structural properties of synthesized nanomaterial have been characterized using FESEM, EDAX spectroscopy, and XRD, while UV-visible DRS spectroscopy and photoluminescence have been used to understand their optical properties. The photocatalytic behaviour of synthesized nanoparticles was evaluated on the degradation of methylene blue (MB) and rhodamine B (RhB) organic pollutants under solar light irradiation. The highest degradation was achieved for MB (100%) over RhB (96%). Preliminary investigation shows the effective degradation of organic pollutants by ZnO nanoparticles.