Water purification process using zinc oxide nanoparticles

A method of reducing a concentration of an organic contaminant in an aqueous solution, the method comprising:

• contacting ZnO nanoflowers with the aqueous solution comprising the contaminant at a contaminant concentration of 1 mg/L-1 g/L;
• and
• irradiating the ZnO nanoflowers while in contact with the aqueous solution;
• wherein the ZnO nanoflowers have a generally spherical shape with a diameter of 1.5-3.5 μm,
• wherein a surface of the ZnO nanoflowers has nanopetals of 50-200 nm thickness extending 100-500 nm from the surface, the nanopetals traversing the surface with lengths of 500 nm-2 μm, and
• wherein the ZnO nanoflowers reduce the concentration of the organic contaminant in the aqueous solution by adsorption and/or photocatalytic degradation.