Facile one-pot microwave-assisted green synthesis of silver nanoparticles using Bael gum: Potential application as catalyst in the reduction of organic dyes

Abstract

An environmentally safe microwave induced synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) was explored using Bael Gum (BG) as a stabiliser and reductant. The as-prepared nanoparticles were characterized by UV–vis spectra, FTIR spectra, TEM, XRD and DLS techniques. The formation of AgNPs was perceived by alteration of colour from light yellow to brown with surface plasmon resonance (SPR) band around 410–430 nm. The biomolecules in the gum were accountable for the reduction of silver ions and stabilization of the developed AgNPs, which were identified by FTIR spectral analysis. The TEM images displayed that the formed AgNPs were small, highly dispersed, spherical in shape, and with a particle size of 14 ± 3 nm. The XRD crystallographic planes of AgNPs support a face-centred cubic (FCC) structure. In addition to this, the effect of several synthetic factors such as silver nitrate concentration, gum concentration, and microwave irradiation time were also studied. In the presence of sodium borohydride, the catalytic efficacy of AgNPs was studied by reduction of Methylene Blue (MB), Rhodamine B (RhB) and 4-Nitrophenol (4-NP). These catalytic reactions followed pseudo-first-order kinetics. This investigation demonstrates the green synthesis of AgNPs and its applications in environmental remediation.