Comparative Study of Optical and Chemical Properties of ZnO-Ag Composites Synthesized from Mimosa Pudica and Andrographis Paniculata Extracts

Abstract

In this research, a comparison was made between the optical and chemical properties of ZnO-Ag composites with different ZnO and Ag ratios synthesized using extracts obtained from mimosa and Andrographis paniculata plants. The optical properties of the synthesized ZnO-Ag composites were analyzed, focusing on parameters such as absorption and bandgap energy. Moreover, the bandgap, which indicates the energy difference between the valence and conduction bands, was calculated to assess the compounds' electronic behavior. Furthermore, the chemical properties of the ZnO-Ag composites were investigated. This involved analyzing the chemical bond, crystal structure, and crystalline size using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer (FT-IR). The experimental findings demonstrated that the crystal sizes of ZnO and Ag in ZnO-Ag composites synthesized using Mimosa pudica extract were considerably smaller compared to those synthesized using Andrographis paniculata extract. Consequently, the energy gap of the ZnO-Ag compounds synthesized with mimosa extract was higher in comparison to those synthesized with Andrographis paniculata extract. By comparing the optical and chemical properties of the ZnO-Ag composites synthesized from mimosa and Andrographis paniculata extracts, valuable insights can be gained regarding the influence of these plant extracts on the resulting composites.