Abstract
Green synthesis of gold nanoparticles using plant extracts is one of the more promising approaches for obtaining environmentally friendly nanomaterials for biological applications and environmental remediation. In this study, proanthocyanidins-functionalized gold nanoparticles were synthesized via a hydrothermal method. The obtained gold nanoparticles were characterized by ultraviolet and visible spectrophotometry (UV-Vis), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements. UV-Vis and FTIR results indicated that the obtained products were mainly spherical in shape, and that the phenolic hydroxyl of proanthocyanidins had strong interactions with the gold surface. TEM and XRD determination revealed that the synthesized gold nanoparticles had a highly crystalline structure and good monodispersity. The application of proanthocyanidins-functionalized gold nanoparticles for the removal of dyes and heavy metal ions Ni2+, Cu2+, Cd2+ and Pb2+ in an aqueous solution was investigated. The primary results indicate that proanthocyanidins-functionalized gold nanoparticles had high removal rates for the heavy metal ions and dye, which implies that they have potential applications as a new kind of adsorbent for the removal of contaminants in aqueous solution.
Highlights
IntroductionGold nanoparticles are one of the most extensively studied noble metal nanomaterials due to its potential applications in catalysis, optical and electronic devices, biodiagnostics and medicine [1,2,3]
Gold nanoparticles are one of the most extensively studied noble metal nanomaterials due to its potential applications in catalysis, optical and electronic devices, biodiagnostics and medicine [1,2,3].Various wet chemical methods have been reported for the synthesis of gold nanoparticles, such as citrate reduction and the Brust-Schiffrin method [1,4]
The development of novel synthetic strategies for the preparation of monodisperse gold nanoparticles and the assembly of nanoparticles into one- and two-dimensional structures are critical for their applications [7,8]
Summary
Gold nanoparticles are one of the most extensively studied noble metal nanomaterials due to its potential applications in catalysis, optical and electronic devices, biodiagnostics and medicine [1,2,3]. Various wet chemical methods have been reported for the synthesis of gold nanoparticles, such as citrate reduction and the Brust-Schiffrin method [1,4]. It has been discovered that the capping agents or the shells of gold nanoparticles are very important for their physicochemical properties, toxicity and applications [2,5,6]. Gold nanomaterials were synthesized by using plant extracts as both the reducing and capping agents [15]. Plant extracts that have great potential in heavy metal accumulation and detoxification are the best candidates for nanoparticle green synthesis and environmental remediation applications
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