Innovative Synthesis of Fe Doped ZnO-Zeolite Composite for Advanced Applications

This study introduces an innovative approach for synthesizing an Fe-doped ZnO-zeolite composite material with enhanced structural and functional properties targeting advanced environmental and catalytic applications. The key hypothesis of this study is that Fe doping and zeolite integration can synergistically increase the performance of ZnO by increasing the surface area, structural stability and reactivity. Fly ash-based zeolites were synthesized by fusion-assisted hydrothermal technique and employed as a support matrix for ZnO nanoparticles. ZnO was doped with varying concentrations of Fe (0.5–2 wt.%) to analyze the impact of iron incorporation on crystallinity and morphology. Subsequently, Fe-ZnO was composited with zeolite to make a hybrid material with multifunctional characteristics. Comprehensive characterizations were performed via SEM (to observe morphology and dispersion), FTIR (to confirm bonding and functional groups) and XRD (to analyze crystal structure and phase purity). XRD results confirmed the presence of wurtzite ZnO structure with no secondary phases, while SEM micrographs revealed even dispersion of Fe-ZnO on zeolite surfaces. Notably, Fe doping caused a slight shift in the diffraction peaks and reduced the crystallite size (~18–25 nm), confirming the successful incorporation of Fe into the ZnO lattice. FTIR spectra validated the coexistence of Zn–O, Fe–O, and zeolitic Si–O–Al bonds. The efficient integration of Fe-ZnO nanoparticles into the zeolite framework is confirmed by the different peaks in the Raman spectra at around 300, 445, 620, and 1050 cm⁻¹. The BET studies revealed that the Fe-ZnO/Zeolite composite has an average pore diameter of 4.7 nm and a balanced micro-mesoporous structure with an intermediate surface area. These results support the hypothesis and indicate that the Fe-ZnO/zeolite composite possesses tailored chemical and morphological properties, making it suitable for applications in adsorption, catalysis, and environmental remediation. Future work can explore optimization strategies and performance metrics for specific pollutant degradation or catalytic conversions.

Akmal Shahzad Babar, Shahzad Ali Shahid Chatha and Atta Ul Haq