Abstract

• The aim of this research was to synthesize zinc oxide nanoparticles via green routes using Aloe vera leaf aqueous extracts as well as via chemical method and to study its characteristics. In biosynthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles, zinc acetate was used as a precursor and A. vera leaf hot and cold aqueous extracts used as reducing and stabilizing agents. On the other hand, zinc oxide nanoparticles were synthesized chemically from zinc acetate in the presence of sodium hydroxide. The synthesized zinc oxide nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), FT IR, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and thermogravimetric /differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA) techniques. The amount of yield percents of the synthesized ZnO NPs obtained by biosynthesis method were higher than those of the chemical method at the same temperature. The zinc oxide nanoparticles were observed as particles agglomeration studied by the morphology using SEM images and had hexagonal wurtzite structure with the lattice constants of a = b = 3.2511 Å and c = 5.2076 Å in average crystallite size about 18 ~ 19 nm, according to XRD analysis. FT IR spectrum showed the Zn-O absorption bands in range between 600 ~ 400 cm-1. TG-DTA analysis resulted the weight loss about 4 ~5 % of the synthesized zinc oxide nanoparticles at nearly 250 .C. Small weight losses of zinc oxide samples indicated the thermal stability of the synthesized zinc oxide nanoparticles.