LAUSR

Abstract Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles are emerged as a leading phtocatlyst for organic dye degradation owing to its non-toxicity, low cost and high photochemical reactivity. In the present work, ZnO nanoparticles with different particle size were prepared via hydrothermal assisted phytofabrication method using Aerva lanata and Aerva javanica flower extracts as the reducing agent. The synthesized ZnO nanoparticles were analyzed using different analytical techniques which evidently revealed that phase purity, structural properties, band gap and particle size of the ZnO nanoparticles were considerably influenced by the type of flower extract used as reducing agent under hydrothermal circumstance. The photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B was examined in the presence of prepared ZnO nanoparticles under visible light irradiation. Photocatlytic study clearly indicate that ZnO nanoparticles prepared using Aerva lanata flower extract exhibits superior photocatlytic degradation of Rhodamine B dye than ZnO prepared using Aerva javanica flower extract due to its inherent properties. Hence, the synthesized ZnO nanoparticles using hydrothermal assisted phytofabrication can be used as a potential photocatlyst for the removal of Rhodamine B dye from the textile waste water by photocatalytic degradation.