Assessment of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticle Production from Local Zinc Ore in Plateau State Using Sol-Gel Method

This study assesses the production of zinc oxide nanoparticles from zinc ore concentrate sourced from the Jos Plateau region, North Central Nigeria, using the sol-gel synthesis route. Zinc oxide nanoparticles have broad applications in photocatalysis, antimicrobial coatings, and electronics, and the availability of zinc ore deposits on the Jos Plateau presents a potential local feedstock for nanoparticle production. Zinc ore is digested in dilute sulphuric acid and the resultant zinc sulphate solution is purified by solvent extraction before sol-gel synthesis using sodium hydroxide as the precipitating agent. The effect of calcination temperature (300, 500, and 700 degrees Celsius) on particle morphology, crystallite size, and optical properties is investigated. Characterisation is performed by XRD (Scherrer equation for crystallite size), SEM-EDX, FTIR, and UV-visible spectrophotometry. Photocatalytic activity is evaluated by methylene blue dye degradation under UV irradiation. Results indicate that calcination at 500 degrees Celsius produces phase-pure wurtzite ZnO with an average crystallite size of 28 nm and the highest photocatalytic degradation efficiency of 87 percent after 120 minutes of UV exposure. Lower calcination temperature yields residual organic contamination, while higher temperature promotes grain growth and reduced surface area. The study validates the feasibility of producing photocatalytically active ZnO nanoparticles from Nigerian ore feedstock. Keywords: zinc oxide nanoparticles, sol-gel synthesis, photocatalysis, Jos Plateau, Plateau State.