CTAB-crafted ZnO nanostructures for environmental remediation and pathogen control

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Environmental Science
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Growing need for sustainable water treatment methods to address organic pollutants and microbial contamination.
• Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) show promise for environmental applications due to their unique properties.
• Developing efficient photocatalysts is crucial for degrading persistent organic pollutants.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize multi-structured zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs).
• To investigate the combined photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants and antimicrobial activity of ZnO NPs.
• To evaluate the efficiency and sustainability of ZnO NPs for water treatment applications.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of multi-structured ZnO NPs using a precipitation-cum-hydrothermal approach.
• Characterization of ZnO NPs for size, crystallinity, and band gap energy.
• Photocatalytic degradation of Reactive Blue-81 dye and antimicrobial activity testing against S. aureus and P. aeruginosa.

Main Results:

• Synthesized CTAB/ZnO NPs were multi-structured, crystalline (40 nm), with a narrow band gap (2.82 eV).
• Achieved 91.75% degradation of Reactive Blue-81 dye in 105 min under UV irradiation.
• Demonstrated effective antimicrobial activity and low energy consumption, with key photocatalytic performance metrics reported.

Conclusions:

• Tailored multi-structured ZnO NPs are effective for combined organic pollutant degradation and microbial inactivation in water.
• The synthesized ZnO NPs offer a sustainable and efficient solution for water purification.
• Low energy consumption highlights the environmental and economic advantages of this nanotechnology.