Waste upcycling of Sapota peels as a green route for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles and their application as catalytic and colorimetric detection of Co2+ and Hg2

• Published in: Discover nano 2024-11, Vol.19 (1), p.191-27, Article 191
• Main Authors: Beniwal, Anuradha, Singh, Sushila, Rani, Jyoti, Moond, Monika, Kakkar, Simran, Sangwan, Seema, Kumari, Sachin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Carbon dioxide; Catalytic activity; Chemical synthesis; Chemistry and Materials Science; Cobalt; Colorimetry; Contaminants; Cost effectiveness; Degradation; Detection limits; Dyes; Environmental cleanup; Environmental degradation; Field emission spectroscopy; Fourier transforms; Gentian violet; Green chemistry; High resolution electron microscopy; Infrared spectroscopy; Light scattering; Materials Science; Mercury (metal); Metal ions; Molecular Medicine; Nanochemistry; Nanoparticles; Nanoscale Science and Technology; Nanotechnology; Nanotechnology and Microengineering; Photon correlation spectroscopy; Plant extracts; Plant layout; Pollutants; Rate constants; Reducing agents; Sapota peel; Scanning electron microscopy; Sensors; Silver; SP-AgNPs; Toxicity; Transmission electron microscopy; Ultrasonic vibration; Ultraviolet spectroscopy; X-ray diffraction
• ISSN: 2731-9229; 1931-7573; 2731-9229; 1556-276X
• DOI: 10.1186/s11671-024-04147-w

Biochemical synthesis of nanoparticles (NPs) using plant part extracts as capping and reducing agents has drawn considerable attention in research with a growing focus on green chemistry. The present study utilized Sapota ( Manilkara zapota L.) peel extract to synthesize silver nanoparticles (SP-AgNPs) using ultrasonic vibration. Different characterization techniques such as UV-vis spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, Field emission scanning electron microscope, High resolution transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction were employed to check the production of SP-AgNPs. The AgNPs were crystalline in nature and had an average particle size of 27.906 nm. The research primarily focused on two aspects: the catalytic activity of SP-AgNPs in degrading environmental pollutants and their ability to act as colorimetric sensors for toxic metal ions. SP-AgNPs exhibited significant catalytic activity in the decomposition of various pollutants such as Methyl Orange (0.035 ± 0.090 min −1 , 92.89 ± 1.79%), Crystal Violet (0.1097 ± 0.1016 min −1 , 85.56 ± 2.21%) and Cosmic Brilliant Blue G-250 (0.0697 ± 0.0275 min −1 , 79.56 ± 1.80%). The high degradation percentages and reaction rate constants indicate the efficiency of SP-AgNPs in pollutant degradation. Additionally, the study demonstrated the effectiveness of SP-AgNPs as sensors for detecting toxic metal ions, particularly Co 2+ and Hg 2+ with limits of detection 54.40 ± 1.43 µM and 10.70 ± 0.16 µM. With impressive sensitivity and low detection limits, SP-AgNPs showed promise in detecting these ions, which are often found in environmental contaminants. Moreover, their plant-based synthesis, low toxicity, and cost-effectiveness make them attractive options for environmental remediation efforts. Graphical abstract