article · Hybrid Advances
Zinc oxide nanoparticles were synthesised through an environmentally friendly approach using an aqueous fruit extract of Nauclea latifolia as a reducing and stabilising agent. Characterisation confirmed the particles possessed a hexagonal wurtzite crystal structure with crystallite dimensions near 10 nanometres and a large surface area of 268.22 square metres per gram. When deployed to treat water contaminated with Congo red dye, the nanoparticles showed optimal adsorption performance at room temperature, an acidic pH of 3, and a 60-minute duration with a modest adsorbent dosage. The uptake behaviour closely followed the Freundlich isotherm and general-order kinetics. Thermodynamic analysis demonstrated that the dye removal process is spontaneous, exothermic, and governed by physical forces, highlighting the potential of plant-assisted nanoparticle synthesis for sustainable wastewater remediation.
Synthetic dyes from textile and manufacturing effluents pose severe environmental and health risks when discharged into water bodies. Replacing conventional, energy-intensive remediation techniques with green-synthesised nanomaterials derived from local plant matter provides a sustainable, cost-effective method to cleanse contaminated industrial wastewater while reducing the reliance on toxic manufacturing chemicals.
This work is relevant to wastewater treatment operators and industrial effluent managers, particularly within textile dyeing sectors seeking sustainable adsorbents. By replacing toxic synthesis chemicals with agricultural fruit extracts, the method provides a greener precursor route. As the results are limited to laboratory batch experiments, the technology remains at an early stage of development and requires pilot testing under continuous flow and complex industrial effluent conditions.
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This study demonstrates the synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) by a green approach using an aqueous extract of Nauclea latifolia fruit as a reducing and stabilizing agent. The synthesized nanoparticles were subsequently engaged for the removal of Congo red (CR) dye from the aqueous solution. X-ray diffraction (XRD) revealed the hexagonal wurtzite structure of the particles with an average crystallite size of 10.05 nm. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis showed characteristic peaks indicating the presence of ZnO, along with functional groups corresponding to aldehyde, carboxylic, and hydroxyl groups. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed an agglomerated surface morphology, while transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis showed grain sizes ranging from 9.22 to 12.54 nm. Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis disclosed a high specific surface area of 268.22 m2/g for the nanoparticles. UV–Vis spectroscopy showed a broad absorption peak around 365 nm. Batch adsorption studies demonstrated that the optimal conditions for the adsorption of CR onto the NPs are 0.05 g of ZnO NPs, duration of 60 min, pH 3, 5 mg/g of CR dye concentration, and 25 °C. Non-linear adsorption modelling revealed that Freundlich isotherm and general-order kinetic models best fit the adsorption data. The thermodynamic investigation confirmed the exothermic, spontaneous, and feasible nature of the adsorption process, primarily driven by physical forces. Overall, this study establishes the efficiency of green-synthesized ZnO NPs for CR dye removal from aqueous solutions, presenting a sustainable, cost-effective, and eco-friendly alternative for wastewater treatment.
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DOI: 10.1016/j.hybadv.2024.100164
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