Plant-mediated green synthesis and characterization of silver nanoparticles using Phyllanthus emblica fruit extract

Abstract

Abstract A cost-effective and non-hazardous approach was carried out for the plant-mediated green synthesis of metallic nanomaterials utilizing the fruit extract of Indian gooseberry (Amla) or Phyllanthus emblica. In this study, silver nanoparticles were effectively synthesized from silver nitrate precursors through a facile and eco-friendly method using the fruit extract of Phyllanthus emblica as a reducing and stabilizing agent. The ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction analysis, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and energy dispersive x-ray analysis (EDX) were employed to characterize the synthesized nanoparticles. A face-centered cubic crystalline structure and elemental silver phase were identified by x-ray diffraction analysis. The Rietveld refinement determined the average crystallite size (Lvol-IB) of the silver nanoparticles’ as 16.29 nm. The microstructural analysis revealed the spherical shape of the as-synthesized silver nanoparticles and the average grain size ranged between 60 and 80 nm. The development of elemental silver was affirmed by the EDX spectrum. The bio-reduction of silver ions and the formation of silver nanoparticles were ascertained by the UV–Vis spectral analysis. A surface plasmon resonance peak was found at 453 nm. The well-balanced size and shape of the synthesized elemental silver nanoparticles suggested the Phyllanthus emblica fruit extract as an effective reducing agent.