ISSN 2995-9246
International Journal of Chemistry | Vol. 1, No. 1, January 2010 | pp. 1–8
DOI: 10.46882/2010/IJC/000001
Article Type: Original Research Paper
Title: Synthesis and Characterization of Novel Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Using Camellia sinensis Leaf Extract for Photocatalytic Degradation of Methylene Blue
Names of Authors: Ananya R. Sharma¹, Michael K. Chen², David O. Okoro¹
Authors’ Affiliations:
¹Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Lagos, Akoka, Nigeria
²Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
Abstract: Green synthesis of nanoparticles has gained significant attention due to its eco-friendly and cost-effective nature. In this study, zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) were successfully synthesized using the aqueous leaf extract of Camellia sinensis (Green tea) as a reducing and stabilizing agent. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized using UV-Vis spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). UV-Vis spectra showed a characteristic absorption peak at 365 nm, confirming the formation of ZnO NPs. XRD analysis revealed a crystalline wurtzite structure with an average crystallite size of 24.5 nm. The photocatalytic activity of the synthesized ZnO NPs was evaluated through the degradation of Methylene Blue (MB) dye under solar light irradiation. The effects of operational parameters, including catalyst dosage (0.1 to 0.5 g/L), initial dye concentration (10 to 50 mg/L), and pH (4 to 10), were systematically investigated. Optimal degradation of 94.2% was achieved within 120 minutes using a catalyst dosage of 0.3 g/L at pH 9. The degradation kinetics followed a pseudo-first-order model with a rate constant of 0.0231 min⁻¹. Reusability tests demonstrated that the catalyst maintained a degradation efficiency of over 85% after four consecutive cycles. These findings suggest that green-synthesized ZnO NPs serve as a highly efficient, sustainable, and reusable photocatalyst for the treatment of textile wastewater containing hazardous organic dyes.
Keywords: Green synthesis, Zinc oxide nanoparticles, Camellia sinensis, Photocatalytic degradation, Methylene blue, Kinetics
Manuscript Timeline: Received: October 12, 2009; Revised: November 20, 2009; Accepted: December 05, 2009; Published: January 02, 2010