Ti(IV) doping: An effective strategy to boost Lewis acidic performance of ZnO catalyst in fluorescein dye synthesis

Abstract Zn 1-x Ti x O NPs were efficiently synthesized using a simple solution free mechanochemical method. The synthesized ZnO and Ti(IV)-doped ZnO catalysts are exhibited polycrystallinity, a hexagonal crystal structure, and roughly spherical agglomerates. The surface areas of the Zn 1-x Ti x O catalysts were positively correlated with the doping percentage of Ti(IV), which also enhanced the Lewis acidity of the NPs. The catalysts exhibited excellent activity during the synthesis of fluorescein dyes. This methodology was also extended to sulfone-fluorescein dye synthesis.