An efficient method for the synthesis of photo catalytically active ZnO nanoparticles by a gel-combustion method for the photo-degradation of Caffeine

In this study, Zinc oxide nanoparticles were synthesized by gel-combustion method using a novel bio-fuel tapioca starch pearls, derived from the tubers of Mannihot esculenta, to investigate the photocatalytic degradation of ccaffeine. The ZnO photocatalyst was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and UV-visible spectroscopy. X-ray diffractometry result for the ZnO nanoparticles exhibit normal crystalline phase features. All observed peaks can be indexed to the pure hexagonal wurtzite crystal structures. There are no other impurities in the diffraction peak. In addition, SEM measurement shows that most of the nanoparticles are spongy and spherical in shape and fairly mono dispersed. A significant degradation of the Caffeine was observed when the catalyst was added into the solution even without the UV light exposure. In addition, the photo degradation increaseds with the photocatalyst loading. Besides the photocatalyst loading, the effect of some parameters on the photo degradation efficiency such as initial concentration and pH were also studied.