Publication Details
Abstract
The Green rout was used for the preparation of zinc oxide/chromium oxide (ZnO/Cr₂O₃) and ZnO/Cr₂O₃/Activated Carbon (AC) nanocomposites using the phytochemicals of Myrtus communis leaf extract as natural capping and reducing agents. The synthesized materials were subsequently characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) to assess the effects of AC incorporation on the structures of materials, morphologies, and compositions. The results of SEM showed that the binary oxide composite morphology changed from rounded, densely agglomerated nanoparticles (49 nm) to angular, flake-supported morphology (61 nm) after the incorporation of AC. This compositional change was also quantified by EDX in which the binary oxide did not contain carbon whereas the AC containing composite did contain a significant carbon content (about 54.7 %). FTIR and XRD revealed that the characteristic Zn-O/Cr-O bonding as well as the crystalline framework of ZnO/Cr₂O₃ remained intact in both composites, and the broader hydroxyl absorption band along with the presence of an amorphous carbon diffraction feature (24° 2θ) also confirmed the successful incorporation of carbon. The results showed that the activated carbon can be embedded in a green synthesized ZnO/Cr₂O₃ without destroying its crystalline oxide structure and allow for the introduction of morphological and surface changes that may be relevant for the functional properties of the composite.