Hyaluronic acid mediated ZnO-NPs: In relation to electrical and photocatalytic activity for dye degradation

Various processes have been implemented to purify water; however, photocatalysis is comprehensively utilized in wastewater treatment and plays a significant role in water remediation. A photocatalyst is a nanostructured metal oxide ZnO nanoparticles, which boosts the reaction rate by its existence. ZnO nanoparticles show great performance in the absorption of various organic pollutants from wastewater. The objective of this research was to enhance the photocatalytic degradation performance of HA-added ZnO NPs using methylene blue as a model wastewater. Adjusting the main physical properties and photocatalytic efficiency of ZnO-NPs was performed using hyaluronic acid (HA), a natural bioactive stabilizer. The characterization of the fabricated ZnO-NPs samples with and without HA involved the utilization of FE-SEM, AFM, XRD, FTIR, PL, and I-V. As demonstrated by the FE-SEM analysis, ZnO formed rod-like structures, 3.0 % HA:ZnO exhibited cauliflower-like structures, and 5.0 % HA:ZnO displayed honeycomb-like structures. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis demonstrated that the HA:ZnO nanoparticles exhibited hexagonal wurtzite structures. The average crystallite sizes of the ZnO, 3.0 % HA:ZnO, and 5.0 % HA:ZnO NPs were determined to be 25.20, 27.30, and 20.20 nm, respectively, using the XRD patterns. The surface area was 4.439, 2.987, and 5.204 m2/g of bare ZnO, 3.0% HA: ZnO, and 5.0 % HA:ZnO-NPs were 4.439, 2.987, and 5.204 m2/g, respectively. It is very likely that there are two different decay and/or capture mechanisms in the emission spectra because the TRPL decay profile behaves in a double-exponential way. The fast decay time constant (tau 1) was 212 ps for bare ZnO and 3.0 % HA:ZnO NPs and 231 ps for 5.0 % HA:ZnO NPs. The slow decay time constant (tau 2) has a similar pattern, with values of 3.716, 2.836, and 2.984 ns. The specific contact resistance values of the ZnO NPs increased from 0.113 to 45.624 ( x 105 Omega cm2) as a function of the HA concentration, as evidenced by the results of the electrical studies. The outcomes of this research present comprehensive information on noble-modified ZnO-NP materials containing HA for direct applications in electronic materials and photocatalytic degradation of organic waste in water.