Photocatalytic Degradation of Brilliant blue FCF Dye by Using Biosynthesized ZnO Nanoparticles

Introduction

Brilliant Blue, a synthetic dye widely used in industries such as textiles, food processing, and cosmetics, has become a notable environmental pollutant due to its high stability, toxicity, and resistance to natural degradation processes. Photocatalytic degradation has emerged as a promising approach for the degradation of organic pollutants like Brilliant Blue under relatively mild environmental conditions. Metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs), particularly zinc oxide (ZnO) NPs, have drawn attention for their ability to generate reactive species upon light absorption, leading to the degradation of complex dye molecules into simpler molecules.

Methodology.

ZnO NPs were produced through the green synthesis method using Livistona Chinensis leaf extract and their photocatalytic activity in the degradation of synthetic dyes was assessed under visible light exposure. The photocatalytic efficiency of NPs was evaluated using the Brilliant blue FCF, a triarylmethane dye as a pollutant monitored by a UV-Visible spectrophotometer (An Agilent, Cary UV-Vis Compact Peltier spectrophotometer 200 to 800 nm). A Phillips light emitting diode (LED) bulb (22 W, 220-240 Vac, 50 Hz, 90Lm/W) was used as a visible light source.

Results

UV-Visible analysis of dye degradation showed that the synthesized NPs exhibit notable photocatalytic efficiency. When tested against Brilliant blue FCF under visible light, the ZnO NPs achieved approximately 75% degradation of the dye within 90 minutes.

Conclusion

This study highlights the advantages of using ZnO NPs as an eco-friendly, cost-effective photocatalyst activated by visible light. The results indicate that these NPs hold promise as a sustainable solution for wastewater treatment applications.

Keywords: ZnO NPs; Brilliant blue FCF; photocatalytic; green synthesis