Analysis of the structural, morphological, and optical properties of Selaginella lepidophylla-mediated ZnO semiconductor nanoparticles and their influence on the photocatalytic removal of Rhodamine B dye

The present work reports the analysis of the morphology, structure, optical properties, and photocatalytic performance of Selaginella lepidohylla -mediated ZnO nanoparticles (NPs). The ZnO NPs were obtained using varying concentrations of Selaginella lepidophylla as a chelating agent. The morphological analysis confirmed spherical shape and sizes of 19.86–27.75 nm for the obtained ZnO. The structural analysis revealed a hexagonal wurtzite phase and high crystallinity. Additionally, bandgap values of 2.7 eV to 2.9 eV were calculated through analysis of the optical properties. Elemental analysis identified the main Zn, O and C peaks, as well as oxygen vacancies in the ZnO lattice. The UV photocatalytic performance of the ZnO NPs was evaluated through the discoloration of RhB as a model organic pollutant. The ZD4 sample demonstrated the best results with 99.7% dye removal after 180 min, showing excellent potential for other applications.