Structural, Optical, Electrical, and Magnetic Characterization of Fe2O3 and ZnO Nanoparticles Synthesized by Pulsed Laser Ablation in Liquid for River Water Treatment

Vollständiger Abstract

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This study aimed to prepare iron oxide (Fe2O3) and zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles using pulsed laser ablation in liquid (PLAL) technology, investigate their physical properties, and evaluate their potential use in treating polluted river water. This technique is advantageous because it allows for the preparation of nanoparticles without the need to add chemicals during the preparation process, making it an important method for producing nanomaterials with properties suitable for environmental applications.X-ray diffraction (XRD) results showed the formation of the hexagonal crystalline phase of ZnO and the hematite (α-Fe2O3) phase of Fe2O3, with characteristic peaks for each material, confirming the formation of the required crystalline structure of the prepared particles. UV-Vis measurements also showed characteristic absorption peaks at 375 nm for ZnO and 230 nm for Fe2O3 . FTIR spectra confirmed the presence of characteristic bonds for both materials, particularly Zn-O and Fe-O bonds. FESEM images showed the formation of nanoparticles with predominantly spherical morphology, averaging 33.47 nm for Fe₂O₃ and 35.69 nm for ZnO, confirming the successful preparation and formation of materials at the nanoscale.Electrical measurements showed that both Fe₂O₃ and ZnO exhibit n-type semiconducting behavior, with a clear difference in charge carrier mobility and concentration between the two materials. VSM measurements showed that Fe₂O₃ exhibits superferro magnetic behavior at room temperature, while ZnO exhibited weak diamagnetic behavior. These properties provide a suitable basis for utilizing the prepared materials in environmental and functional applications. The measured electrical properties demonstrate that the synthesized nanostructures possess strong electrical characteristics, making them highly efficient in facilitating the redox reactions required for breaking down water pollutants To evaluate the efficiency of the prepared materials in river water treatment, samples were analyzed before and after treatment Using nanoparticles by EDX, the river water before treatment showed a high weight percentage of zinc, reaching 53.76%. After treatment with Fe2O3 particles, the detected percentage of zinc decreased to 40.21%, while it decreased to 32.08% after treatment with ZnO particles. These results indicate a clear effect of the prepared nanoparticles in altering the elemental composition of the water sample, with ZnO showing a greater response than Fe2O3 under the experimental conditions. Based on the results obtained, it can be concluded that pulsed laser ablation in liquid provides an efficient method for preparing Fe2O3 and ZnO nanoparticles with distinctive structural, morphological, and physical properties, and that these materials have promising applicability in the treatment of polluted water. The results also showed that ZnO was more effective than Fe2O3 in reducing the weight percentage of zinc detected in the treated water samples, which supports