Dendrophthoe falcata extract mediated Fe3O4 nanoparticles: A functional agent for dye degradation and inflammation mitigation

Abstract

The synthesis of metal oxide nanoparticles through green methods using plant extracts has garnered significant interest for their sustainable and multifunctional applications. In this study, the leaf extracts of Dendrophthoe falcata (D'falcata), a medicinal plant known for its rich phytochemical composition was successfully utilized as a reducing and stabilizing agent to synthesize Fe3O4 nanoparticles through a co-precipitation method. The D'falcata-mediated Fe3O4 nanoparticles were characterized using XRD, FTIR, UV–vis, SEM, EDAX, and TEM. The prepared nanoproduct was employed to decompose Congo red dye molecules through photocatalysis. XRD and FTIR analyses confirmed the cubic spinel phase of Fe3O4 nanoparticles and the Fe-O peak around 600 cm-1, while the UV–vis spectrum exhibited an absorption peak around 350 nm. Morphological studies revealed that the synthesized D'Fe3O4 nanoparticles were slightly agglomerated and ranged in size from 25 to 35 nm. The EDAX profile confirmed the presence of expected elements like Fe, O, and N in the final product. VSM studies indicated that D'Fe3O4 displayed paramagnetic behavior. Moreover, the anti-inflammatory assay demonstrated its potential for tumor therapy, with a percentage inhibition of 95 %, surpassing the standard diclofenac sodium (89 %). The smaller size of the D'falcata-mediated Fe3O4 nanoparticles also makes them a viable option for magnetic resonance imaging. Furthermore, photocatalytic studies showed the increase in dye degradation efficiency over the time. The findings from XRD, SEM, FTIR, and VSM analyses were well corroborated, highlighting the enhanced photocatalytic and anti-inflammatory activities of the synthesized D'Fe3O4 sample.