Abstract:
A facile, innovative and ecofriendly approach of
biofabrication of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO–NPs)
using agricultural wastes (seed and peel) of Nephelium
lappaceum L. and Garcinia mangostana L. have been
demonstrated in this study. Characterizations of ZnO–
NPs were carried out using Ultraviolet-Visible (UV–
vis) spectrophotometry, Scanning Electron Microscopy
(SEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM),
Energy Dispersive spectroscopy (EDX), and Fourier
Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The formation
of ZnO-NPs was preliminary confirmed by the UV–vis
spectroscopy, by the appearance of peaks between 362–
368 nm. The SEM and TEM images show flower and
rod-like arrangements of nanocrystals. As per the TEM
images, all the synthesized ZnO-NPs showed the particle
size ranging from 29-334 nm. FTIR spectral analysis
demonstrated peaks at 3269–3500 cm−1, 2308–2361 cm−1,
2103–2110 cm−1 and 1630–1640 cm−1, 586–632 cm−1 for
the plant extracts, whereas an additional peak appeared
within the range of 458–499 cm−1 in synthesized ZnO–
NPs. The degradation efficiency of ZnO–NPs was
measured by the study of photo degradation of Methylene
Blue and the results of ZnO–NPs synthesized via seed
extract of N. lappaceum demonstrated the highest activity
among all the synthesized NPs with a half-life of 78 min
with 97% degradation efficiency at 150 min time frame.
