Decolorization of crystal violet dye with zinc nanoparticles synthesized from endophytic fungus Aspergillus niger

Abstract

Introduction: A common cationic triphenylmethane dye in many industrial applications is crystal violet (CV). Among these are the dyeing of cotton, silk, wool, nylon, and polyacrylonitrile textiles. CV is also utilized as an antibacterial and mutagenic agent, in veterinary medicine, and in biological staining. Despite its many applications, CV is a chemical that is resistant to environmental deterioration, leaving a long-term residue in soil and wastewater. Furthermore, it is impossible to overlook CV's harmful effects on both people and the environment, as even a small amount of it may produce a bright color. There is a need for an efficient degrading method because CV has been shown to be mutagenic, and carcinogenic in addition to being toxic to mammalian cells.
Objectives: Given the possible hazards that CV poses to both human health and the environment, it is critical to create an effective degradation process that can lessen both its toxicity and environmental impact.
Methods: After being first detected as a color shift, the creation of ZnNPs was later verified by Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, which revealed a distinctive silver absorption peak at 420 nm. Studies using transmission electron microscopy revealed that the ZnNPs ranged in size from 4 to 15 nm. The crystalline structure of the ZnNPs was discovered using X-ray diffraction research.

Results: CV dye was effectively decolored by ZnNPs up to 96% after 72 h of incubation.
Conclusions: As a result, ZnNPs may be employed as very cost-effective agents for the quick elimination of dye-based pollutants from the environment as well as for the management of other reducible pollutants.