Zinc Oxide (ZnO) Nanoparticles: An environmentally friendly synthesis and characterization using pomegranate peel extract

In this work, pomegranate peel extract was used to create zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) in an eco-friendly way. Pomegranate peel extract and aqueous zinc nitrate salt (Zn(NO₃)₂.9H₂O), a zinc source, were reacted in the presence of 2 M of ammonia hydroxide (NH₄OH) to bring the pH of the solution to eight, and this formed the ZnO nanoparticles. To characterize the nanoparticles, FTIR, XRD, EDX, and SEM were used. In the FTIR spectra, zinc oxide was found as a band at 436 cm⁻¹. The XRD patterns verified that ZnO has a hexagonal phase structure, with an average crystal size of 26.7 nm. The EDX examination demonstrated the exceptional purity of the produced chemical because no impurities were discovered Each element in the sample can be precisely identified using EDX, and the results show zinc and oxygen with weight percentages of 82.80% and 17.20%, respectively. The theoretical percentage value is 80.339% and 19.66% for zinc and oxygen, respectively; this gives a high compatibility in the weight ratio between the theoretical and real calculations of the prepared compound. SEM investigation shows that the generated particles are spherical and have diameters between 24 and 44 nm.