DOI: https://doi.org/10.9767/bcrec.20426

Eco-Friendly Photocatalyst from Limestone: ZnO-Hydroxyapatite Composite for Efficient Rhodamine B Removal

1Chemistry Department, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Pendidikan Ganesha, Jl. Udayana Singaraja, Bali 81117, Indonesia

2Doctoral Program of Environmental Science, Udayana University, Jl. PB. Sudirman Denpasar-Bali, Indonesia

3Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Udayana University, Jimbaran, Badung, Bali 80361, Indonesia

4 Animal Husbandry Department, Faculty of Animal Husbandry, Udayana University, Jimbaran, Badung, Bali 80361, Indonesia

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Received: 15 Jun 2025; Revised: 20 Jul 2025; Accepted: 22 Jul 2025; Available online: 25 Jul 2025; Published: 30 Oct 2025.
Editor(s): Istadi Istadi
Open Access Copyright (c) 2025 by Authors, Published by BCREC Publishing Group
Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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Abstract

This study aims to synthesize and characterize a limestone-based ZnO-hydroxyapatite (HA/ZnO) composite and evaluate its performance in the photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B under UV irradiation. Hydroxyapatite was synthesized by reacting calcined CaO from limestone with orthophosphoric acid and subsequently combined with ZnO via a co-precipitation–hydrothermal method. The materials were characterized using X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Fourier Transform Infra Red (FTIR) to determine their crystal structure and functional groups. The HA/ZnO composite exhibited the smallest crystallite size (14.86 nm), indicating enhanced surface area and strong interfacial interaction. Photodegradation tests revealed optimal conditions at pH of 9, Rhodamine B concentration of 20 mg/L, and catalyst dosage of 1.5 g, achieving a maximum degradation efficiency of 99.81%. Toxicity assessment using a corn seed germination test showed a significant increase in germination rate from 16% (untreated) to 92% (after photocatalytic treatment). These findings suggest that the limestone-derived HA/ZnO composite is a promising, environmentally friendly, and efficient photocatalyst for textile dye wastewater treatment. Copyright © 2025 by Authors, Published by BCREC Publishing Group. This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0).

Keywords: Photodegradation; ZnO-hydroxyapatite; limestone; Rhodamine B; photocatalyst

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Section: Original Research Articles
Language : EN
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