Browsing by Author "Akeem Sodiq Olalekan"

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    Optical, morphological, and structural properties of green-synthesized zinc oxide nanoparticles as a promising nanomaterial for integration in solar cells
    (KWASU PRESS AND PUBLISHING, 2026-06-30) Sunday W. Balogun; Sefiu Adekunle Bello; Akeem Sodiq Olalekan
    Green - synthesized method for the production of metal oxide nanoparticle for energy conversion has received attraction over physical and chemical routes of synthesis due to its eco-friendliness, energy efficiency, and nontoxicity. Nanotechnology promotes large-scale production of materials for energy conversion, electronics, and optoelectronics. Research on biosynthesis of nanoparticles remains an inexhaustible field. This paper presents bio-synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticle (ZnONPs) for integration in solar cells from Zinc nitrate hexahydrate using Moringa oleifera extract as capping and reducing agent. Analyses of zinc oxide nanoparticles’ structural, optical, surface morphological, elemental composition, and chemical bond properties were conducted. The SEM analysis indicate a spherical, nanosized grain morphology with a diameter of 36.25 nm. The XRD analysis yielded an average crystallite size diameter of approximately 36.28 nm. XRD result revealed the wurtzite hexagonal nature of ZnO and showed that temperature annealing affects crystallite grain size. FT-IR spectroscopy confirmed formation of zinc oxide nanoparticles. Optical spectroscopic analysis showed that ZnO nanoparticles properties were influenced by temperature annealing. The band gap varies from 1.1 eV to 1.22 eV, which decreases with increase in annealing temperature. These findings elucidate the potential of extract from Moringa oleifera plant as a green source of capping agent for ZnO-NPs synthesis. The study establishes Moringa oleifera leaf extract as an efficient, eco-friendly precursor for ZnO NP synthesis. The results, also demonstrated the possibility of thermal annealing as a means of tunning ZnO nanoparticles properties. Overall, the potential embedded in these results suggest ZnO nanoparticles as a promising suitable nanomaterial for solar cell photo-anodes.