Effect of Photodegrading Performance on the Structural, Optical, and Morphological properties of ZnO nanoparticles

The uniqueness of this research lies in the synthesis of ZnO NPs through a sol-gel method at 400°C, with a subsequent exploration of their photocatalytic efficiency in relation to spinning time. The investigation encompassed an in-depth analysis of the structural, morphological, and optical characteristics of ZnO NPs, employing XRD, SEM, and UV-vis spectroscopy. To assess photocatalytic performance, the degradation of methylene blue (MB) under simulated solar radiation was utilized as a benchmark. The spinning time significantly influenced the optical band gap (3.48 to 3.65 eV) and photocatalytic activity (90.4% to 96%) of ZnO NP thin films. optimized spinning time increased the surface area of ZnO nanoparticles and improved photocatalytic performance. A maximum photodegradation efficiency of 96% was achieved at 90 sec, demonstrating the potential of spin-coating with optimized spinning time for fabricating ZnO thin films with enhanced photocatalytic activity for environmental applications.