Synthesis and Characterization of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles by Modified Sonochemical Process and Their Catalytic Studies through Organophosphates

Abstract

In current effort a modified Sonochemical method was used for the Synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles using zinc acetate dihydrate, ethylene diamine dihydrochloride and sodium hydroxide as precursors and PVP as surfactant to control the morphology and shape of synthesized ZnO nanoparticles. Sodium hydroxide was used to provide the basic medium and distilled water as solvent. The synthesized ZnO nanoparticles were dried in oven at 100 0C for 2 hour and then calcinated at 500 0C in muffle furnace for 2 hours. Organophosphates like HMPA and Omethoate pestanal were chemisorbed on the surface of synthesized ZnO nanoparticles for specific interval of time at room temperature and under sunlight, no efforts were made to control the humidity and ambient light and then their degradation products were extracted in two different solvents i.e. isopropyl alcohol and dichloromethane and analyzed on GC/MS for their detection and conformation, using phenomenix ZB-50 column. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by using X-Ray Diffraction, scanning electron microscopy (SEM/EDX), FTIR Fourier Transform infrared Spectroscopy; GC/MS. X-Ray Diffraction Spectra indicate hexagonal Wurzite Structure and EDX spectra showed the metal to oxygen ratio of the synthesized ZnO nanoparticles, SEM images showed size and shape of nanoparticles synthesized. SEM micrograph of the synthesized ZnO nanoparticles display that the constituent parts are spherical in form and ranges from 8-20nm in size. Nano crystalline ZnO are prepared through modified sonochemical process and their catalytic activities were checked against organophosphates like hexamethylphosphoramide, Omethoate using GC 6850 and MS 5973i of Agilent technologies. The nanocrystalline metal oxide due high surface area, high surface to volume ratio, highly reactive corners degrades organophosphates at room temperature and in the presence of sun light.