ZnO STRUCTURES: THE ROLE OF MORPHOLOGY IN PHOTOCATALYTIC DEGRADATION OF REACTIVE RED-194 DYE

ZnO structures are accessible photocatalysts that can be synthesized using significantly cheaper resources than other catalyst alternatives, addressing current environmental concerns. The present research proposed a design and synthesis of ZnO structures with two different morphologies, namely flower-like ZnO (ZnO-F) and rod-like ZnO (ZnO-R) using a simple hydrothermal method. These efficient catalysts were characterized using FTIR, Raman spectroscopy, XRD, SEM, BET, and XPS analyses. Both synthesis routes resulted in the formation of wurtzite crystalline ZnO. The variation in the synthesis route affected the morphology, crystallite size, and surface area of the ZnO structures. The crystallite sizes of ZnO-F and ZnO-R specimens were 24.46 nm and 31.10 nm, respectively. SEM indicated remarkable alterations in the morphology of ZnO structures. The surface area of ZnO-F (20 m2/g) was almost doubled compared to ZnO-R specimen (9.5 m2/g). XPS analysis confirmed the chemical states of ZnO structures. The impact of morphology and reaction conditions on the photoactivity of ZnO structures was tested on the degradation of Reactive Red 194 (RR-194) dye and ZnO-F specimen exhibited an improved photocatalytic performance than ZnO-R.