Green synthesis of Fe-ZnO nanoparticles with improved sunlight photocatalytic performance for polyethylene film deterioration and bacterial inactivation

Massive utilization and improper handling of plastics urge us to seek an applicable and efficient treatment method to reduce the plastic wastes. Herein, iron-doped ZnO (Fe-ZnO) nanoparticle was synthesized via a hibiscus rosa-sinensis leaf-assisted green method, and subsequently employed for low density polyethylene (LDPE) plastic degradation as well as Escherichia coli (E. coli) inactivation under sunlight irradiation. Myriad characterization techniques were used to investigate the structural, optical and electronic properties of green synthesized samples. The weight loss results presented that the photocatalytic performance of the LDPE/Fe-ZnO film was higher than those of pure LDPE and LDPE/un-doped ZnO films. The Fe-ZnO (2 wt%) nanoparticle demonstrated a greater photocatalytic deterioration of LDPE owing to its boosted optical absorption and the effective suppression of photogenerated charge carriers. The presence of carbonyl groups as the degradation product of LDPE was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) images also witnessed the formation of pores at the interface between polymer matrix and Fe-ZnO. Additionally, the LDPE/Fe-ZnO film exhibited an obvious antibacterial effect against E. coli as compared to LDPE/un-doped ZnO film. The current work put forward the construction of eco-friendly photocatalyst as a green strategy to tackle the challenges of plastic pollution.

Automated summary

Fe-ZnO nanoparticles synthesized through a green method exhibit high photocatalytic degradation and antibacterial effects on LDPE plastic and E. coli. The results confirm the enhanced optical absorption and suppression of photogenerated charge carriers by Fe-ZnO, contributing to the improvement of plastic degradation efficiency.