Facile green synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles: Its photocatalytic and electrochemical sensor for the determination of paracetamol and D-glucose

The nanocrystalline zinc oxide (ZnO) was produced utilizing a bio-combustion process with Aloe vera latex extract (Avle) as the fuel. The XRD method proved the nanocrystalline nature and phase of ZnO. The Kubelka-Monk (K-M) function was used to analyze the DRS-UV-vis spectrum, and the results revealed that ZnO has a band gap of 2.79 ​eV. When utilized to evaluate the photo-degradation capabilities of ZnO, the acid red-88 (AR-88) dye was found to be activated at 500 ​nm. After 120 ​min of exposure to UV radiation, the AR-88 dye's photodegradation rate reduced its hue by up to 75.8%. A carbon paste electrode that had been enhanced with ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) was used to detect paracetamol and D-glucose in a 1 ​M KOH solution. The result of the cyclic voltammetry points to the excellent electrochemical qualities of ZnO NPs. ZnO electrode material was found to have a proton diffusion coefficient of 9.30 ​× ​10⁻⁵cm²s⁻¹. ZnO is a decent electrode catalyst for sensing chemicals like paracetamol and glucose, according to its electrochemical behavior.