Photocatalytic Degradation of Methylene Blue using Zinc Oxide Synthesized by Hydrothermal Method

Abstract

ZnO nanoparticals (ZnO-NPs) were synthesized by hydrothermal method at low temperatures over a range of different hydrothermal time periods and different calcination temperatures. The synthesized ZnO-NPs were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms (BET). The XRD results showed that all ZnO-NPs were hexagonal wurtzite phase. The photocatalytic activities of the ZnO-NPs were tested through the degradation of methylene blue under UV light. The highest methylene blue (MB) degradation was found to be 99% with zinc oxide synthesized at 48 hours hydrothermal process time and 300 °C calcination temperature conditions during 3 hours degredation time. As a result, the synthesized by hydrothermal method at low temperatures ZnO-NPs have potential applications in the treatment of wastewater.