Eco-friendly Synthesis of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Using Camellia sinensis (Green Tea) and Its Characterization

Abstract

Nanoparticles can be synthesized in a simple and eco-friendly way without any toxic byproducts through a process known as green synthesis. Green tea is a great source of polyphenols and flavonoids which can be used to synthesize ZnO nanoparticles. These nanoparticles have potential applications in various industries and medicine. Green tea's phenolic compounds act as efficient reducers of metal ions, which stabilizes the growth of nanoparticles. The study synthesized ZnO nanoparticles using green tea leaves and then characterized them using various instruments. The average particle diameter of the synthesized particles was 168.8 nm, and they had a zeta potential of 38.2 mV. The UV-Vis analysis showed a blue-shifted absorption maximum at 323 nm, indicating that the ZnO particles were on a nano-scale. The XRD spectra of calcined ZnO nanoparticles showed prominent diffraction peaks at various angles. Thermal stability of the ZnO nanoparticles was confirmed by the thermogravimetric analysis, which revealed that the nanoparticles degraded rapidly at 657°C, and weight loss began at 753°C.