Plasmonic Nanosilver Synthesis Using Sonneratia apetala Fruit Extract and Their Catalytic Activity in Organic Dye Degradation

Abstract

Comparing to the chemical and physical techniques, biosynthesis of nanoparticles is being facilitated due to its nontoxic and economically feasible availability. In this present study, plant-mediated silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized using the fruit extract of Sonneratia apetala from the silver nitrate (AgNO₃) solution. Among different physiological conditions, effect of reaction time was investigated during the AgNPs synthesis. Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) characterization was conducted for verifying the nanoparticles size and morphology. A distinct band centered around 400-480 nm in the UV-Visible spectroscopy represented the formation of AgNPs. FTIR spectroscopy revealed that –OH group may play important role for the reduction of Ag⁺ to AgNPs. XRD revels the face-centered cubic geometry of AgNPs. AFM image analysis helped to find out the shape of the synthesized AgNPs is sphereical. The efficiency of AgNPs as a promising catalyst through electron transfer in the degradation of methyl orange and methyl red was investigated. This catalytic activity of AgNPs can be used to synthesis different chemical intermediates and organic transformations.