Green Synthesized of Ag/Ag2O Nanoparticles Using Aqueous Leaves Extracts of Phoenix dactylifera L. and Their Azo Dye Photodegradation

• Published in: Membranes (Basel) Vol. 11; no. 7; p. 468
• Main Authors: Laouini, Salah Eddine, Bouafia, Abderrhmane, Soldatov, Alexander V., Algarni, Hamed, Tedjani, Mohammed Laid, Ali, Gomaa A. M., Barhoum, Ahmed
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 25-06-2021; MDPI
• Subjects: Azo dyes; Biodegradation; Carbohydrates; Catalytic activity; Crystallites; Crystals; Decoloring; Decolorization; dye degradation; Dyes; Energy gap; Flavonoids; Fourier analysis; Fourier transforms; Infrared analysis; Leaves; Light; Metal oxides; Methylene blue; Nanocrystals; Nanoparticles; Optical properties; Phenolic acids; Phenols; Phoenix dactylifera; Phoenix dactylifera L; Photocatalysis; Photodegradation; photosynthesis; Plant extracts; Scanning electron microscopy; Silver; silver/silver oxide nanoparticles; Spectrophotometry; Spectroscopy; Spectrum analysis; Synthesis; Textile industry; X-ray diffraction
• ISSN: 2077-0375; 2077-0375
• DOI: 10.3390/membranes11070468

In this study, silver/silver oxide nanoparticles (Ag/Ag2O NPs) were successfully biosynthesized using Phoenix dactylifera L. aqueous leaves extract. The effect of different plant extract/precursor contractions (volume ratio, v/v%) on Ag/Ag2O NP formation, their optical properties, and photocatalytic activity towards azo dye degradation, i.e., Congo red (CR) and methylene blue (MB), were investigated. X-ray diffraction confirmed the crystalline nature of Ag/Ag2O NPs with a crystallite size range from 28 to 39 nm. Scanning electron microscope images showed that the Ag/Ag2O NPs have an oval and spherical shape. UV–vis spectroscopy showed that Ag/Ag2O NPs have a direct bandgap of 2.07–2.86 eV and an indirect bandgap of 1.60–1.76 eV. Fourier transform infrared analysis suggests that the synthesized Ag/Ag2O NPs might be stabilized through the interactions of -OH and C=O groups in the carbohydrates, flavonoids, tannins, and phenolic acids present in Phoenix dactylifera L. Interestingly, the prepared Ag/Ag2O NPs showed high catalytic degradation activity for CR dye. The photocatalytic degradation of the azo dye was monitored spectrophotometrically in a wavelength range of 250–900 nm, and a high decolorization efficiency (84.50%) was obtained after 50 min of reaction. As a result, the use of Phoenix dactylifera L. aqueous leaves extract offers a cost-effective and eco-friendly method.