Zinc oxide nanoparticles as an efficient antioxidant, photocatalyst, and heterogeneous catalyst in C–P bond synthesis
Hari Babu Boppudi, Y. Subba Rao, Charan Kuchi, Althada Ramesh Babu, Varadhi Govinda, M. Jagadeesh, Mahimaluru Lavanya
Abstract
Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) were synthesized using the chemical precipitation technique and characterized through various analytical methods. Powder X-ray diffraction (P-XRD) results confirmed the hexagonal wurtzite phase of the NPs. Fourier-Transform Infrared (FTIR) results showed the presence of characteristic vibrations of ZnO, such as the zinc–oxygen stretching band and the hydroxyl group. UV–Vis spectra established a band gap of 3.2 eV. Energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) identified the elemental composition of the NPs as primarily zinc and oxygen. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) images indicated a distinctive cauliflower-like morphology with an average size of 50 nm. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) provided further insights into the NPs excellent crystalline structure and smooth surface. This study has also evaluated the photocatalytic and antioxidant activities of the ZnO-NPs. The NPs has a good photocatalytic activity for the degradation of textile crystal violet dye. Furthermore, the antioxidant potential of the NPs was assessed through the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging assay, revealing promising in vitro results. These findings emphasize the multifaceted attributes of ZnO-NPs, making them valuable for a broad spectrum of applications, from catalysis and environmental cleanup to cutting-edge nanotechnology and biomedicine.