Green synthesis of zinc oxide-based nanomaterials for photocatalytic studies: A mini review

Abstract

Due to rapid industrialization, wastewater pollution has become a serious concern that needs to be addressed effectively. Untreated contaminants abundantly discharged into the water bodies have been proven to negatively impact the environment as well as human health. For a long time, zinc oxide (ZnO) has been used to treat these environmental pollutions in a process called semiconductor photocatalysis. In the field of material science, nanosized ZnO synthesized using green route has been used by many researchers as they are usually eco-friendly and cost effective. Even though ZnO nanostructures act as an excellent photocatalyst, there are still a few drawbacks that can limit their efficiency. To overcome these problems, ZnO modifications can be done to produce ZnO-based nanomaterials. In this mini review, we present up-to-date research progress on green synthesized ZnO-based nanomaterials and discusses on the methods used to modify ZnO nanostructures to improve photocatalytic efficiency.