Synthesis and photocatalytic performance of ZnOfor the wastewater treatment: A Review

This article reviews the methods of zinc oxide (ZnO) photocatalyst synthesis and compares itsstructures with the different applications of wastewater treatment. ZnO as a practical andenvironmentally friendly photocatalyst can be synthesized by various methods includinghydrothermal, sol-gel, and co-precipitation. The method of zinc photocatalyst synthesis affectsits performance in the degradation of organic pollutants. ZnO can be applied for wastewatertreatment produced by several fields including paint, pharmaceutical, chemical, andpetrochemical industries. Furthermore, photocatalysts based on zinc oxide are eco-friendly,and in certain instances, by modifying synthesis techniques, they have been able to able tocompletely degrade organic pollutants, up to ۱۰۰%. This review summarizes the synthesismethods of ZnO and describes the mechanism of pollutant degradation by photocatalysts aswell as its conditions