Adsorption of brilliant cresyl blue from aqueous solution by silver nanoparticles on zinc oxide

Synthetic dyes are a source of contamination of water bodies that generate a serious environmental problem; in this work, the adsorption capacity of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) deposited on zinc oxide (ZnO) was evaluated. Using the Turkevich method, silver nanoparticles with diameters of 6.3 +/- 3.6 nm were obtained; for the synthesis of ZnO particles, zinc acetate dihydrate and Hexamethylenetetramine were used in a 1:1 ratio at similar to 90 degrees C. Using the wet impregnation method, AgNPs were deposited on the ZnO. The produced material was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy, obtaining a peak at similar to 239 cm(-1) which is attributed for Ag-doped samples. Brilliant Cresyl Blue dye was used for this study. Adsorption studies were carried out using UV-Vis spectroscopy. The AgNPs/ZnO composites showed higher removal value (91%) compared to ZnO (64%).