Photocatalytic Degradation of Phenol Red Dye Using Hydrothermally Synthesized Hexagonal ZnO Nanorods

Water pollution caused by organic dye discharges from industrial processes poses severe environmental and health risks. Among various treatment methods, photocatalytic degradation using nanostructured metal oxides has gained significant attention due to its efficiency and sustainability. Zinc oxide (ZnO) is a wide band gap n-type semiconductor (3.29 eV) exhibiting a strong exciton binding energy of approximately 60 meV, and exhibits excellent photocatalytic activity due to its efficient charge carrier dynamics and light absorption. In this study, hexagonal-shaped ZnO nanorods were synthesized via a hydrothermal method using zinc nitrate hexahydrate as a precursor and ammonium hydroxide as a growth promoter. The synthesized ZnO microrods were examined using FESEM and XRD. The fabricated ZnO microrods were utilized as photocatalysts for the solar light-assisted degradation of phenol red dye. The results demonstrate the role of nanorod morphology in enhancing ZnO photocatalytic efficiency, with the high surface-to-volume and reduced charge recombination being key contributing factors. These findings highlight the potential of ZnO nanostructures for advanced applications in wastewater purification.