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

Alyaa H. Ali; Tahseen H. Mubarak; Nadia M. Jassim

doi:10.71229/a59jp182

Authors

Alyaa H. Ali Department of Physics, College of Science, University of Diyala, Diyala 32001, Iraq
Tahseen H. Mubarak Department of Physics, College of Science, University of Diyala, Diyala 32001, Iraq
Nadia M. Jassim Department of Physics, College of Education for Pure Sciences, University of Diyala, Diyala 32001, Iraq

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.71229/a59jp182

Keywords:

Fe2O3 nanoparticles , ZnO nanoparticles, laser ablation in liquid (PLAL)

Abstract

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 Fe₂O₃and 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

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