Surface-modified ZnO nanoparticles for enhanced environmental and biomedical performance

• Published in: Hybrid Advances 2025-03, Vol.8, p.100342, Article 100342
• Main Authors: Mahajan, Munisha, Kaur, Ramandeep, Gaur, Jyoti, Kumar, Sanjeev, Kaushal, Sandeep, Kaur, Harpreet, Bajwa, Amardeep, Nainawat, Anil Kumar, Singh, Gurjinder
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 2773-207X; 2773-207X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.hybadv.2024.100342

The present study explores the synthesis of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide-modified zinc oxide nanoparticles (CTAB: ZnO NPs) via a precipitation-cum-hydrothermal route, optimizing their multifunctional capabilities for photocatalytic dye degradation and antibacterial applications. The synthesized ZnO NPs exhibit a wurtzite hexagonal structure, as confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), with an average crystallite size of 47.12 nm, refined through Williamson-Hall (107.8 nm) and modified Debye-Scherrer (41 nm) analyses to account for lattice strain effects. UV–visible spectroscopy reveals a sharp absorption peak at 430 nm, with a corresponding band gap of 3.2 eV, indicative of strong quantum confinement effects. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) confirm the quasi-spherical morphology with minimal agglomeration, while energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) validates the purity of the ZnO composition. Photocatalytic investigations demonstrate a remarkable degradation efficiency of 100 % for reactive blue-81 (RB-81) dye under UV irradiation within 1.3 h, with a kinetic reaction rate of 5.71 × 102 μmol g⁻1 h⁻1. Quantum yield (QY) and space-time yield (STY) values of 2.53 × 10⁻⁴ molecules photon⁻1 and 1.27 × 10⁻⁵ molecules photon⁻1 mg⁻1, respectively, highlight the superior photonic utilization efficiency compared to conventional TiO₂-based photocatalysts. Antibacterial studies using the agar well diffusion method reveal significant inhibition zones of up to 3.42 cm and 2.14 cm for Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, respectively, demonstrating potent antibacterial activity. The findings indicate that CTAB: ZnO NPs not only enhance photocatalytic degradation and antibacterial efficacy but also offer scalable potential for environmental remediation and biomedical applications. [Display omitted]