Enhancing Methyl Orange Degradation with Laser-Generated ZnO and Ce-Doped ZnO Nanoparticles

Abstract

The presence of Methyl Orange, a hazardous organic compound typically found in industrial wastewater, presents a significant environmental challenge, necessitating the development of effective strategies for its removal to mitigate adverse impacts on aquatic ecosystems and human health. In this work, we utilized 60-watt continuous-wave (CW) and high-power CO2 laser with 10.6 μm wavelength to synthesize Zinc Oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) doped with 1% Cerium (Ce) as photocatalyst at standard laboratory conditions through Laser-Assisted Chemical Bath Synthesis (LACBS) technique. The synthesized nanostructures were thoroughly characterized using UV–vis spectroscopy, field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. Subsequently, their efficiency in degrading Methyl Orange (MO) dye was evaluated under UV and sunlight irradiation. The findings revealed that the 1% Ce-doped ZnO sample exhibited enhanced photocatalytic efficiency under both UV and sunlight irradiation, as well as active adsorption capabilities in the absence of light. Notably, the most effective photodegradation performance was achieved under solar radiation, with an impressive 95% of MO dye degradation observed after just 90 min of exposure.