Advances in Phytochemistry, Textile and Renewable Energy Research for
Industrial Growth – Nzila et al. (Eds)
© 2022 Copyright the Author(s), ISBN: 978-1-032-11871-0
Open Access: www.taylorfrancis.com, CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license
Biosynthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles as a potential adsorbent for
degrading organochlorines
C.O. Ondijo
Moi University, Eldoret, Kenya
O. K’owino
Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kakamega, Kenya
F.O. Kengara
Bomet University College, Bomet, Kenya
ABSTRACT: Water pollution due to organic contaminants has been a serious issue in developing countries
because of the acute toxicities and carcinogenic nature of these pollutants. Among various water treatment
methods, adsorption is purported to be one of the best because it is cheap and easy to prepare and use. Initially,
activated carbon was being used in water treatment to remove contaminants but it proved to be expensive and also
it did not degrade these contaminants after adsorption. For this reason, zinc oxide nanoparticles are synthesized
for recommended use in the degradation of pesticides. The zinc oxide nanoparticles were synthesized using Cissus quadrangularis plant leaf extract. The surface analysis of the synthesized nanoparticle was analyzed using
a particle analyzer and X-ray diffraction (XRD) crystallography. The synthesized nanoparticles were found to
have a mean diameter of 14.83 nm and the XRD pattern revealed the formation of ZnO nanoparticles showing
crystallinity. The synthesized ZnO nanoparticle showed a characteristic peak at a wavelength of 368 nm for electron excitation. This simple and cost-effective phytochemical approach for the formation of ZnO nanoparticles
has a promising application in biosensing, photocatalysis, electronics, and photonics.
Keywords: Water pollution, Organic contaminants, nanoparticle, Carcinogenic, adsorption
1 INTRODUCTION
Nanoparticles or ultrafine particles are particles of
matter that are between 1 and 100 nanometers (nm)
in diameter. The term at times is used for larger
particles, up to 500 nm, or fibers and tubes that are less
than 100 nm in only two directions (Trojanowski &
Fthenakis 2019). The various methods used to
synthesize nanoparticles include coprecipitation,
hydrothermal synthesis, inert gas condensation, ion
sputtering scattering, microemulsion, microwave,
pulse laser ablation, sol–gel, sonochemical, spark discharge, template synthesis, and biological synthesis
(Rane, Kanny, Abitha, & Thomas 2018). Among these
methods it is noted that “Green synthesis” (biological
synthesis) of nanoparticles makes use of environmentfriendly, non-toxic, and safe reagents (Mirzaei &
Darroudi 2017). Nanoparticles synthesized using biological techniques or green technology have diverse
natures, with greater stability and appropriate dimensions since they are synthesized using a one-step
procedure (Parveen, Banse, & Ledwani 2016).
The principal parameters of nanoparticles which
make them unique in chemical reactions and reactivity
are their shape, size, and the morphological structure (Ealias & Saravanakumar 2017). Nanoparticles
can be present as an aerosol (mostly solid or liquid phase in air), a suspension (mostly solid in liquids), or an emulsion (two liquid phases). However,
in the presence of chemical agents (surfactants), the
surface and interfacial properties may be modified
(Saxena, Goswami, Dhodapkar, Nihalani, & Mandal
2019). Indirectly nanoparticles can stabilize against
coagulation or aggregation by conserving particle
charge and by modifying the outmost layer of the
particle (Hong 2019). Nanoparticles have been in use
in a wide range of technologies, including adhesion,
lubrication, stabilization, and controlled flocculation
of colloidal dispersions (Raghu, Parkunan, & Kumar
2020).
Nanoparticles such as colloidal gold may intrude
into complex folded biological molecules which are
1 nm in size to both plants and animals which are normally evidenced through immunolabeling and related
surface functionalization techniques to target nanoparticles to biomolecules as markers for high-resolution
transmission electron microscopy and optical imaging
systems (Nativo, Prior, & Brust 2008).
132
DOI 10.1201/9781003221968-17
Industrial Growth – Nzila et al. (Eds)
© 2022 Copyright the Author(s), ISBN: 978-1-032-11871-0
Open Access: www.taylorfrancis.com, CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license
Biosynthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles as a potential adsorbent for
degrading organochlorines
C.O. Ondijo
Moi University, Eldoret, Kenya
O. K’owino
Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kakamega, Kenya
F.O. Kengara
Bomet University College, Bomet, Kenya
ABSTRACT: Water pollution due to organic contaminants has been a serious issue in developing countries
because of the acute toxicities and carcinogenic nature of these pollutants. Among various water treatment
methods, adsorption is purported to be one of the best because it is cheap and easy to prepare and use. Initially,
activated carbon was being used in water treatment to remove contaminants but it proved to be expensive and also
it did not degrade these contaminants after adsorption. For this reason, zinc oxide nanoparticles are synthesized
for recommended use in the degradation of pesticides. The zinc oxide nanoparticles were synthesized using Cissus quadrangularis plant leaf extract. The surface analysis of the synthesized nanoparticle was analyzed using
a particle analyzer and X-ray diffraction (XRD) crystallography. The synthesized nanoparticles were found to
have a mean diameter of 14.83 nm and the XRD pattern revealed the formation of ZnO nanoparticles showing
crystallinity. The synthesized ZnO nanoparticle showed a characteristic peak at a wavelength of 368 nm for electron excitation. This simple and cost-effective phytochemical approach for the formation of ZnO nanoparticles
has a promising application in biosensing, photocatalysis, electronics, and photonics.
Keywords: Water pollution, Organic contaminants, nanoparticle, Carcinogenic, adsorption
1 INTRODUCTION
Nanoparticles or ultrafine particles are particles of
matter that are between 1 and 100 nanometers (nm)
in diameter. The term at times is used for larger
particles, up to 500 nm, or fibers and tubes that are less
than 100 nm in only two directions (Trojanowski &
Fthenakis 2019). The various methods used to
synthesize nanoparticles include coprecipitation,
hydrothermal synthesis, inert gas condensation, ion
sputtering scattering, microemulsion, microwave,
pulse laser ablation, sol–gel, sonochemical, spark discharge, template synthesis, and biological synthesis
(Rane, Kanny, Abitha, & Thomas 2018). Among these
methods it is noted that “Green synthesis” (biological
synthesis) of nanoparticles makes use of environmentfriendly, non-toxic, and safe reagents (Mirzaei &
Darroudi 2017). Nanoparticles synthesized using biological techniques or green technology have diverse
natures, with greater stability and appropriate dimensions since they are synthesized using a one-step
procedure (Parveen, Banse, & Ledwani 2016).
The principal parameters of nanoparticles which
make them unique in chemical reactions and reactivity
are their shape, size, and the morphological structure (Ealias & Saravanakumar 2017). Nanoparticles
can be present as an aerosol (mostly solid or liquid phase in air), a suspension (mostly solid in liquids), or an emulsion (two liquid phases). However,
in the presence of chemical agents (surfactants), the
surface and interfacial properties may be modified
(Saxena, Goswami, Dhodapkar, Nihalani, & Mandal
2019). Indirectly nanoparticles can stabilize against
coagulation or aggregation by conserving particle
charge and by modifying the outmost layer of the
particle (Hong 2019). Nanoparticles have been in use
in a wide range of technologies, including adhesion,
lubrication, stabilization, and controlled flocculation
of colloidal dispersions (Raghu, Parkunan, & Kumar
2020).
Nanoparticles such as colloidal gold may intrude
into complex folded biological molecules which are
1 nm in size to both plants and animals which are normally evidenced through immunolabeling and related
surface functionalization techniques to target nanoparticles to biomolecules as markers for high-resolution
transmission electron microscopy and optical imaging
systems (Nativo, Prior, & Brust 2008).
132
DOI 10.1201/9781003221968-17