Photocatalytic dye degradation efficacy and antimicrobial potency of zinc oxide nanoparticles synthesized via sol-gel method

In the sol-gel process, precursor solutions are converted to an intermediate stage that mimics gel before solidifying. This work reports the synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) through aforesaid method, which significantly provides fine control over particle size, shape, and crystallinity. X-ray diffraction (XRD) revealed hexagonal wurtzite ZnO NPs with a diameter of around 22 nm crystallite size. To explore morphological and structural analysis, a Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM) and a High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscope (HRTEM) were employed. The results showed that the nano atmosphere possessed a combination of particles and nanorod-like structures with agglomeration. The as-prepared ZnO NPs are then used to investigate the dye degradation and antimicrobial properties. The results showed 62.96 % efficiency of ZnO NPs to degrade the methylene blue dye through photodegradation process. The antibacterial activity against the Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains S. aureus and P. aeruginosa, as well as the fungal strain C. albicans is observed.