Harnessing Green Nitrogen-Doped Zinc Oxide for Efficient Methylene Blue Dye Photocatalytic Degradation in Wastewater Treatment

Ummu Humairah Hashim; Shahzulaikha Aiman Mohmed; Syahida Suhaimi; Maisurah Mukhtar; Nur Athirah Mohd Taib; Imam Tazi

doi:10.33102/mjosht.v11i1.474

Authors

Ummu Humairah Hashim Nano Energy Lab (NEL), Department of Applied Physics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia, Negeri Sembilan, 71800, Malaysia. https://orcid.org/0009-0008-9590-0728
Shahzulaikha Aiman Mohmed Nano Energy Lab (NEL), Department of Applied Physics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia, Negeri Sembilan, 71800, Malaysia.
Syahida Suhaimi Nano Energy Lab (NEL), Department of Applied Physics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia, Negeri Sembilan, 71800, Malaysia.
Maisurah Mukhtar Nano Energy Lab (NEL), Department of Applied Physics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia, Negeri Sembilan, 71800, Malaysia.
Nur Athirah Mohd Taib Nano Energy Lab (NEL), Department of Applied Physics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia, Negeri Sembilan, 71800, Malaysia.
Imam Tazi Physics Department, Universitas Islam Negeri Maulana Malik Ibrahim Malang, Malang, 65144, Indonesia.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33102/mjosht.v11i1.474

Keywords:

photocatalysis, green synthesis, zinc oxide, nitrogen, methylene blue dye

Abstract

Photocatalysis remains a promising solution for water treatment due to its efficiency, sustainability, and ability to degrade a wide range of contaminants. This study explores the green synthesis of zinc oxide (ZnO/GS) doped with varying weight percent of nitrogen (N) as a photocatalyst. ZnO/GS was synthesized via co-precipitation with zinc nitrate hexahydrate and papaya leaf extract in an aqueous solution, which will be further doped using urea as nitrogen doping. Characterization techniques, including FESEM, EDX, FTIR, and XRD, were employed to analyze the morphology, structural characteristics, surface, and pore volumes of nitrogen-doped green synthesized zinc oxide (N-ZnO/GS). The photocatalytic performance of these samples was evaluated through the photodegradation of methylene blue dye under visible light irradiation. The sample with 10wt%, which is 1 g of dopant, exhibited the optimal results, indicating a homogeneous surface and high crystallinity of N-ZnO/GS synthesized via co-precipitation, demonstrating the best photodegradation efficiency in the photocatalysis process. The findings suggest potential applications in environmental remediation through the degradation of organic pollutants, enhancing wastewater treatment efficacy.

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