Hydrothermal Synthesis of β-Nb2ZnO6 Nanoparticles for Photocatalytic Degradation of Methyl Orange and Cytotoxicity Study

beta-Nb2ZnO6 nanoparticles were synthesized by a hydrothermal process and calcined at two temperatures, 500 degrees C and 700 degrees C, and assigned as A and B, respectively. X-ray diffraction, together with transmission electron microscopy, revealed that the beta-Nb2ZnO6 nanoparticles calcined at 700 degrees C (B) were more crystalline than the beta-Nb2ZnO6 calcined at 500 degrees C (A) with both types of nanoparticles having an average size of approximately 100 nm. The physiochemical, photocatalytic, and cytotoxic activities of both types of beta-Nb2ZnO6 nanoparticles (A and B) were examined. Interestingly, the photodegradation of methyl orange, used as a standard for environmental pollutants, was faster in the presence of the beta-Nb2ZnO6 nanoparticles calcined at 500 degrees C (A) than in the presence of those calcined at 700 degrees C (B). Moreover, the cytotoxicity was evaluated against different types of cancer cells and the results indicated that both types of beta-Nb2ZnO6 nanoparticles (A and B) exhibited high cytotoxicity against MCF-7 and HCT116 cells but low cytotoxicity against HeLa cells after 24 and 48 h of treatment. Overall, both products expressed similar EC50 values on tested cell lines and high cytotoxicity after 72 h of treatment. As a photocatalyst, beta-Nb2ZnO6 nanoparticles (A) could be utilized in different applications including the purification of the environment and water from specific pollutants. Further biological studies are required to determine the other potential impacts of utilizing beta-Nb2ZnO6 nanoparticles in the biomedical application field.

Automated summary

β-Nb2ZnO6 nanoparticles synthesized at different calcination temperatures exhibited different crystallinity and showed varying photocatalytic degradation rates of methyl orange. Both types of nanoparticles demonstrated high cytotoxicity against cancer cells.