Structural & Thermoluminescence properties of bio−engineered ZnTiO3 nanostructures via Hoodia gordonii ethanolic extract & their dosimetric performances

This study reports the bioengineering of zinc titanate (ZnTiO 3 ) and its possible dosimetric efficacy. The bio-inspired synthesis of the rhombohedral ZnTiO 3 phase via Hoodia gordonii natural extract of H. gordonii as an effective chelating agent was validated using crystallographic and vibrational (FTIR and Raman) investigations. UV-VIS absorption spectroscopy revealed significant UV absorption with an optical bandgap of ~ 3.07 eV. Photoluminescence (PL) studies exhibited prominent blue-violet to green emission bands, confirming the presence of oxygen vacancies and deep-level defect states that enable charge trapping. Thermo-luminescence studies showed a stable glow response, good repeatability (CV = 2.65%), and promising dosimetric importance. The kinetic parameters of bio-engineered ZnTiO 3 were evaluated using the Initial Rise (IR) and Variable Heating Rate (VHR) methods. The IR method yielded an activation energy of 0.63 eV, whereas the VHR method yielded an activation energy of 0.64 eV (R 2 = 0.987), demonstrating good agreement between the two approaches. This study reports the green synthesis of ZnTiO 3 using ethanolic Hoodia gordonii extract as a bioengineering agent and investigates the influence of this synthesis route on the structural, optical, and thermoluminescence properties for possible dosimetric applications. Corresponding author.nsintwa@gmail.com (N Sintwa), *dhlamms@unisa.ac.za (M Dhlamini), *maaza@tlabs.ac.za (M Maaza).