Rhodamine B photocatalytic activity and the synthesis of Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide nanoparticles mediated by Vachellia hebeclada (Acacia hebeclada).

Abstract

Rhodamine B (RhB)'s photocatalytic activity was enhanced through the green chemical synthesis of metal oxide nanoparticles (ZnO and TiO2). To produce nanoparticles, zinc nitrate hexahydrate and titanium tetra-isopropoxide precursors were hydrothermally generated using extracts from Vachellia hebeclada. These synthesised nanoparticles were then calcined at high temperatures. Variations in several parameters, including their effects on the crystal size and morphological properties of nanoparticles, were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy analysis (FTIR), and UV-vis spectroscopy. With ZnO and 26.9% with TiO2 nanoparticles, the photocatalytic efficiency of RhB degradation under ultraviolet light illumination was 56.9% within 180 minutes. The reaction rate of the ZnO pseudo-first-order kinetics was the highest (0.017 min− 1) while the reaction rate of the TiO2 nanoparticles was the slowest (0.005 min− 1). The driving force for the separation of photo-excited charge carriers is taken away by the reduced photocatalytic activity of mixed-phase TiO2 particles. ZnO nanoparticles with photocatalytic applications can be produced in an environmentally friendly manner through green nano-production. According to these findings, V. hebeclada extract-mediated synthesis of ZnO and TiO2 nanoparticles may have potential applications in the photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants like RhB. However, additional research is required to improve the synthesis procedure and investigate the effectiveness of these nanoparticles in actual wastewater treatment applications.