OPTIMISATION OF PROCESS PARAMETERS USING THE TAGUCHI METHOD FOR BIO-SYNTHESIS OF ZINC OXIDE NANOPARTICLES

Abstract

Nanotechnology has ushered a new age in research due to its extensive role in various applications. Metal oxide nanoparticles (MONPs) have garnered attention in academic and industrial circles due to their high surface area-to-volume ratio and unique physico chemical properties, resulting in their potential applications in fields of bio-medics, sensors, catalysis, wastewater remediation, etc. Top-down and the bottom-up approaches are the principal methods used to fabricate nanoparticles, which generally include physical, chemical and biological methodologies. However, certain disadvantages are associated with these conventional methods, including high energy consumption, waste production, low purity, and use of hazardous precursors and organic solvents. Hence, there is an increasing demand for environmentally friendly methods for MONPs fabrication. Plant based resources are commonly utilized for environmentally friendly and cost-effective green synthesis of nanoparticles. Their non-toxic nature and economic viability make them attractive options. In this study, a straightforward and eco-friendly approach was employed to fabricate metal oxide nanoparticles (MONPs). The extract of Coriandrum sativum seeds has been utilized for the green synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles. Several runs were designed using the Taguchi method to study the effect of each parameter i.e, time, concentration of zinc acetate, volume of plant extract and calcination temperature on synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles across the different conditions. The percentage contribution of the process parameters was studied in response to wavelength and yield. The prepared material was characterized by using UV-Vis spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction technique and FT-IR analysis.