SURFACTANT – FREE, FACILE SYNTHESIS OF ZINC TUNGSTATE NANOPARTICLES FOR PHOTOCATALYTIC, ANTIBACTERIAL AND HUMIDITY SENSING APPLICATIONS
Keywords:
ZnWO4 nanoparticles, Photocatalyst, Antibacterial activity, Humidity sensor.Abstract
Synthesis of surfactant - free zinc tungstate (ZnWO4) nanoparticles was carried out by coprecipitation technique. The synthesized ZnWO4 nanoparticles were characterized by powder X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) for phase analysis, Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for morphology, Dynamic light scattering (DLS) for particle size analysis, Ultra-violet absorption spectra for optical properties. The photocatalytic ability was analyzed using synthesized ZnWO4 nanoparticles as photocatalyst for the degradation of an organic dye – Rhodamine B (Rh B) under visible light source. The degradation efficiency was above 95% which evident the degradation of the Rh B dye solution. The antibacterial activity of the synthesized nanoparticles was assessed against the gram-positive and gram-negative bacterial strains. Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli were under analysis which shows prominent zone of inhibition. The humidity sensing ability was measured using synthesized ZnWO4 nanoparticles at different relative humidity ranges. It exhibits the sensitivity factor of 1411 with quick response and recovery characteristics.
