Synthesis and characterization of Fe doped ZnO nanoparticles for the photocatalytic degradation of Eriochrome Black-T dye

The current investigation presents the synthesis of zinc oxide (ZnO) and iron-doped zinc oxide (Fe:ZnO) nanoparticles using co-precipitation technique. A comprehensive characterization of the nanoparticles was conducted using XRD, FTIR, FESEM, EDS and UV-visible spectroscopy. The XRD analysis revealed that both ZnO and Fe:ZnO nanoparticles exhibited a hexagonal wurtzite crystal structure. The average crystallite sizes were determined as 18.47 nm for ZnO and 15.32 nm for Fe:ZnO, respectively. Further, UV-Vis analysis indicated a reduction in the band gap of ZnO upon Fe doping. The FE-SEM analysis confirmed the irregular shaped morphology of the nanoparticles, while EDS analysis validated their elemental composition. The photocatalytic performance of the prepared nanoparticles was investigated by employing eriochrome Black T (EBT) dye as a representative pollutant. Furthermore, the optimization of the photocatalytic degradation process was achieved by varying process variables like irradiation time, catalyst loading, initial dye concentration, and pH. The experimental finding demonstrated that Fe:ZnO nanoparticles exhibited significantly enhanced photocatalytic activity compared to pure ZnO nanoparticles, with a maximum degradation efficiency of 83.47% achieved within 150 min. The degradation kinetics followed a pseudo-first-order reaction.