Fabrication of ZnO nanoparticles by solutioncombustion method for the photocatalytic degradation of organic dye

ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) were successfully fabricated by simple combustion process, in which Zn(CH3COO)2 precursors migrated with the aid of alcoholic fuel to the top of a burning lampwick and the chemical reactions occurred at the solvent-air interface of the ignited lampwick, yielding ZnO NPs. Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopic analysis and energy-dispersive spectroscopic elemental analysis revealed that the fabricated ZnO NPs are comprised mainly of Zn and O atoms. It was observed that most of the ZnO NPs exhibited an ellipsoidal shape having a particle size of 100 to 200 nm for short-length axes and 100 to 400 nm for long-length axes. To see the effectiveness of the fabricated ZnO NPs, it was employed as photocatalytic agent to degrade the organic dye, viz. Rhodamine B, and catalytic activities under both sunlight and UV light were analyzed and compared with respect to the commercially available ZnO (Fluka). The initial degradation rate in fabricated ZnO NPs was almost double than that of ZnO (Fluka). Furthermore, by exposing to sunlight for 1 h, the fabricated ZnO NPs degraded Rhodamine B dye more than 80%, whereas it was only approximately 35% for ZnO (Fluka). Photocatalytic activities might be attributed to porous structures with larger active surface area of the nanosized ZnO particles. With this advantage, 96% of organic contaminants were degraded by the fabricated ZnO NPs upon exposure to sunlight for 2 h.