GREEN SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF TiO2 NANOPARTICLES USING BIO-WASTE EXTRACTS FOR PARACETAMOL PHOTODEGRADATION
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59957/jctm.v61.i2.2026.2Keywords:
Green Synthesis, Nanoparticles, Avocado, Petai, Pomelo, Photocatalyst, Titanium DioxideAbstract
Pharmaceutical residues such as paracetamol are increasingly detected in aquatic environments, posing ecological risks and demanding sustainable removal strategies. In this study, TiO₂ nanoparticles were synthesized via a green route using bio-waste such as avocado peel, petai pod, and pomelo peel ethanol extracts as natural capping and stabilizing agents. FT-IR analysis confirmed the presence of phenolic and flavonoid groups, while UV-DRS revealed slight variations in band gap energy (3.18 - 3.27 eV), with TiO₂-EEPPo exhibiting the narrowest band gap. XRD patterns showed that all samples were dominated by the anatase phase with crystallite sizes of 9.9 - 17.7 nm, and FE-SEM/PSA analysis demonstrated nanoscale particle sizes (23 - 98 nm) with porous but agglomerated
morphologies. Zeta potential values (-17.11 to -24.16 mV) indicated sufficient colloidal stability, while adsorption studies highlighted improved affinity in biowaste-modified TiO₂ due to hydroxyl, carboxyl, and phenolic groups. Photocatalytic degradation experiments demonstrated that photolysis alone removed only 36.52 % of paracetamol after 180 min. Biowaste-modified catalysts also exhibited high efficiencies, with TiO₂-EEPA, TiO₂-EEPPi, and TiO₂-EEPPo degrading 91.75 %, 90.1 %, and 95.89 %, respectively, under UV irradiation. These findings confirm that agro-waste-derived extracts not only enhance the structural and photocatalytic properties of TiO₂ but also provide an eco-friendly approach for pharmaceutical wastewater remediation and bio-waste valorization.
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