This research describes the methodology for synthesizing zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs). It demonstrates a unique, cost-effective, and non-toxic chemical technique for producing ZnO-NPs using the precipitation method with NaOH as reducing and capping agents. The formed nanoparticles have been characterized and analyzed using numerous techniques such as; Fluorescence emission spectroscopy (FL), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy-dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX), ultraviolet-visible optical absorption (UV-Vis), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and Thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). Also, the analytical technique X-ray diffraction studies has been used which showed that the ZnO-NPs had a Wurtzite hexagonal crystal structure with an average crystallite size of 34.27 nm. The form and the size of the synthesized ZnO-NPs have been seen in SEM and TEM photographs. Using J-image, particle size has been obtained at 13.33 nm, and the grain boundaries were all approximately spherical. Peaks in the FT-IR spectrum of the NPs indicate the presence of carboxylate (COO) and hydroxyl (O-H) functional groups. According to these findings, Zn interstitial defects are responsible for the 380 nm emission peak. Since EDX could not identify any impurities below the detection threshold, we may be sure that Zn and O are the principal components of the synthesized sample. ZnO-NPs cause an absorption band at 350.34 nm in the UV-Vis spectrum and a band gap of 3.24 eV. The catalytic activity of the synthesized ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) was evaluated by investigating their effectiveness in degrading crystal violet (CV) and methylene blue (MB) dyes, along with assessing the degradation rates. The results demonstrated a high degradation efficiency, with ZnO NPs achieving approximately 96.72 % degradation for CV and 97.169 % for MB dyes, underscoring their remarkable efficacy in the degradation process. As for antimicrobial activity assessment, the results revealed that the ZnO-NPs had negligible impact on Gram-negative bacteria, whereas they exhibited a discernible effect on Gram-positive bacteria. Additionally, it showed anti-cancer potential against colon (SW480), breast (MDA-231), and cervix (HELA) lines cells as seen by (MTT) assay. Hence, due to its simplified processes and cheaper chemicals, our synthesis technique may use in industrial settings for various applications.

This study successfully synthesized zinc oxide nanorod needles (ZnO-NRNs) using an environmentally friendly method employing Cymbopogon Proximus extract. The resulting ZnO-NRNs exhibited exceptional physicochemical and structural properties, confirmed through various characterization techniques, including UV-Vis spectrophotometry, dynamic light scattering (DLS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). The analysis revealed a hexagonal wurtzite structure with high crystallinity, a 3.6 eV band gap, and a notably blue-shifted absorption band. ZnO-NRNs showed impressive photocatalytic activity, degrading Rhodamine B dye by 97% under UV and visible sunlight, highlighting their photostability and reusability. This green synthesis process offers cost effectiveness and environmental sustainability for practical applications.

In this work, researchers synthesized copper–zinc oxide nanoparticles (NPs) of different shapes and sizes and tested their antibacterial and anticancer effects. The current research used a straightforward method to synthesize copper-doped zinc oxide nanoparticles (Cu-ZnO NPs). Next, the photocatalytic, antibacterial, and anticancer properties of the Cu-ZnO NPs were ascertained. Nanoparticles of Cu-doped ZnO were synthesized using co-precipitation technology. The physicochemical characterization was carried out using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), ultraviolet–visible (UV-Vis) and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and other imaging techniques. The SEM analysis confirmed that the particles observed by SEM were found to be below 100 nm in size, which aligns with the results obtained from XRD. The size histogram in the figure inset shows that the nanoparticles are mostly round and have a size range of 5 to 50 nm. The XRD diffractograms revealed the classic structure of wurtzite-phase crystalline Cu-ZnO, and the crystallite size is 26.48 nm. Differences in the principal absorption peaks between the FTIR and UV-vis spectra suggest that varying ZnO NP morphologies might lead to spectrum shifts. We used the agar diffusion method to determine how effective Cu-doped ZnO NPs were against bacteria and the MTT assay to see how well they worked against cancer. The photocatalytic disintegration capacity of Cu-doped ZnO NPs was investigated by degrading crystal violet (CV) and methylene blue (MB) dyes under ultraviolet lamp irradiation. A value of 1.32 eV was recorded for the band gap energy. All peaks conformed to those of the Zn, O, and Cu atoms, and there were no impurities, according to the EDS study. Additionally, the nanoparticles had anticancer properties, indicating that the NPs were specifically targeting cancer cells by inducing cell death. At a 100 µg/mL concentration of the synthesized Cu-doped ZnO NPs, the cell availability percentages for the SW480, MDA-231, and HeLa cell lines were 29.55, 30.15, and 28.2%, respectively. These findings support the idea that Cu-doped ZnO NPs might be a new cancer treatment. Moreover, the results show the percentage of dye degradation over different time durations. After 180 h, the degradation of CV dye reached 79.6%, while MB dye exhibited a degradation of 69.9%. Based on these findings, Cu-doped ZnO NPs have the potential to be effective photocatalysts, antibacterial agents, and cancer fighters. This bodes well for their potential applications in the fields of ecology, medicine, and industry in the future.

Using green synthetic methods, a manganese-cobalt oxyhydroxide (MnCo-OOH) nanocomposite for electrocatalysis was prepared. Electrocatalysts were examined using powder X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). In an alkaline medium, cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometric analysis were applied to assess the electrocatalytic features of the MnCo-OOH nanocomposite. A strong correlation existed between MnCo-OOH’s morphology, crystallinity, and electrochemical activity. Upon examining the electrochemical characteristics, the as-deposited MnCo-OOH catalyst demonstrated a significantly lower overpotential, achieving 75 mA·cm⁻² OER current density at 370 mV, four times larger than 19.7 mA·cm⁻² for CoOOH catalysts, signifying that the MnCo-OOH catalyst exhibits a higher electrocatalytic OER features. In addition, the MnCo-OOH nanocomposite demonstrated a high current density of 30 and 65 mA·cm⁻² at 1.55 and 1.60 V_RHE for 12 h in 1.0 M KOH aqueous electrolyte. As a result of this study, it was determined that the fabricated MnCo-OOH nanocomposite would be an appropriate electrocatalyst in water electrolysis.