Potential Role of ‘Green’ Synthesized Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles in Photocatalytic Applications

Abstract

Environmental sustainability is the cornerstone of the development of nanotechnology in today’s time. The synthesis of nanoparticles (NPs) based on green chemistry widely promotes this concept by minimizing the use of toxic precursors. Herein, the synthesis of titanium dioxide (TiO2) NPs is reported using Origanum majorana extract. The mode of synthesis is facile, eco-friendly, economically, applicable, and rapid. The constituent phytochemicals of the extract responsible for the formation of the nanocatalysts were identified using FTIR spectroscopy. In addition, X-ray diffraction, particle size measurements, and transmission electron microscopy were used to characterize the nanocatalysts. Moreover, the ability of TiO2 NPs to degrade rhodamine B dye under UV irradiation was also investigated. The key findings showed the marked photocatalytic property of the synthesized green TiO2 NPs, which could be potentially incorporated as a nanoscale technique in the process of water purification for human use.

Keywords

• titanium dioxide
• <i>Origanum majorana</i>
• rhodamine B dye
• catalytic degradation