Se doped ZnO nanoparticles with improved catalytic activity in degradation of Cholesterol

Pristine and Se doped ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) were successfully synthesized by the thermomechanicalmethod and their structural, morphological and optical properties are characterized. Herein, a series of experiments were carried out where cholesterol is treated with the same concentrationof Pristine as well as Se doped ZnO NPs. Several Cholesterol oxidation products (COP’s) such as25-hydroxycholesterol and 26-hydroxycholesterol, 7α-hydroxycholesterol, 7β-hydroxycholesterol,7-ketocholesterol are formed as observed by HPLC analysis. The batch of 5 wt % Se doped ZnONPs exhibited highest cholesterol degradation efficiency followed by pristine ZnO NPs and 2 wt %Se doped ZnO NPs. The peak area corresponding to 7-ketocholesterol and 25-hydroxycholesterolis found to be 200980 AU and 200986 AU respectively. The mechanism of cholesterol degradationwas correlated with the incorporation of oxygen vacancies due to Se doping, which was likelyintermediate levels for transiting photoexcited charge carriers for generation of hydroxyl radicals.Further, hydroxyl radicals generated during the interaction of ZnO nanoparticles with aqueous mediahave been determined using terephthallic acid assay and 2′, 7′-di-chlorofluorescein (DCF) assay.

Keywords:

Cholesterol , Food Safety , Reactive Oxygen Species , Selenium Doping , ZnO Nanoparticles