Dye sensitized solar cells using catalytically active CuO-ZnO nanocomposite synthesized by single step method.

In the present paper we report a low cost, single step preparation method for the synthesis of CuO-ZnO nanocomposite through simple co-precipitation technique using oxalic acid. To have a better idea about the deviations brought about by the inclusion of CuO in ZnO lattice, pure ZnO nanoparticles synthesized from 0.1M solutions were also investigated. X-ray diffraction studies showed that the composite contains only hexagonal wurtzite ZnO and monoclinic CuO structures. The magnetic studies of CuO-ZnO heterostructures were also conducted in order to elucidate the source of the ferromagnetism observed at room temperature. The catalytic efficiency of the as prepared nanocomposite was estimated by the degradation of methylene blue and eosin yellowish which also shows its suitability as a promising candidate in waste water treatment. The effect of chenodeoxycholic acid as a co-adsorbent in the performance of dye sensitized solar cells fabricated using the synthesized ZnO and the nanocomposite was also studied and significant improvement in photovoltaic performance has been obtained for nanocomposite based solar cell.

Essential oil mediated synthesis of silver nanocrystals for environmental, anti-microbial and antioxidant applications.

Our quest for a green, non-toxic and environmentally benign synthetic design for the fabrication of metal nanoparticles has led to the use of essential oil present in plant parts as the bioreductant. In this report, silver particles at nanoscale have been synthesized using essential oil present in the leaves of Coleus aromaticus at physiological pH and at 373 K. UV-vis spectra of the colloid display strong plasmon bands centred around 396-411 nm, characteristic of silver nanoparticles. Comparative studies of the FTIR spectra of essential oil and silver nanoparticles reveal the involvement of terpenes and their phenolic derivatives in reduction and subsequent stabilization. TEM micrographs and XRD pattern show the formation of 26 and 28 nm sized face centred cubic structured crystalline nanospheroids with intermittent formation of nanorods. The phytosynthesized silver nanoparticles are found to be effective in degrading hazardous organic pollutants including methyl orange, methylene blue, eosin yellowish and para nitro phenol within a span of a few minutes. Dose dependant antibacterial activity of the biogenic nanosilver against pathogenic Gramme-negative Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922) and Gramme-positive Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923) has been portrayed through agar-well dispersion method. The antioxidant activity including antiradical activity and reducing power have been depicted through superoxide radical scavenging activity, hydroxyl radical scavenging activity, hydrogen peroxide scavenging activity, nitric oxide scavenging activity, DPPH assay and reducing power activity involving the reduction of ferric ion.

Green synthesis and applications of Au-Ag bimetallic nanoparticles.

This paper reports for the first time the synthesis of bimetallic nanoparticles at room temperature using the fruit juice of pomegranate. Simultaneous reduction of gold and silver ions in different molar ratios leads to the formation of alloy as well as core-shell nanostructures. The nanoparticles have been characterized using UV-vis spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. The synthesized alloy particles are used as catalysts in the reduction of 2-, 3-, 4-nitrophenols to the corresponding amines and in the degradation of methyl orange. The reduction kinetics for all the reactions follows pseudo-first order. The rate constants follow the order k4-nitrophenol

Degradation of environment pollutant dyes using phytosynthesized metal nanocatalysts.

We present for the first time biogenic reduction and stabilization of gold and silver ions at room temperature using fruit juice of Punica granatum. The formation, morphology and crystalline structure of the synthesized nanoparticles are determined using UV-Visible, XRD and TEM. An attempt to reveal the partial role of phenolic hydroxyls in the reduction of Au(3+) and Ag(+) is done through FTIR analysis. The synthesized nanoparticles are used as potential catalysts in the degradation of a cationic phenothiazine dye, an anionic mono azo dye and a cationic fluorescent dye. The calculated values of percentage removal of dyes and the rate constants from pseudo first order kinetic data fit give a comparative study on degradation of organic dyes in presence of prepared gold and silver nanoparticles.

Biogenic synthesis of SnO2 nanoparticles: evaluation of antibacterial and antioxidant activities.

Nanostructured semiconductors have been of special interest to scientific community due to their peculiar properties. The quantum size effect results in spectacular variation in the optical and vibrational characteristics of nanostructured materials compared to their bulk counterparts. The present work emphasizes an unexploited, cost effective, and environmentally benign method of synthesizing bioactive tin oxide nanoparticles of size from 2.1 nm to 4.1 nm using Saraca indica flower. The XRD pattern and HRTEM images of the samples revealed an increase in particle size with annealing temperature. Fine tuning band gap could be attained as evidenced by the shift of absorption band edge and photoluminescence emission. It is found that oxygen vacancies play an important role on PL emission. The synthesized nanoparticles exhibit antibacterial activity against gram negative bacteria Escherichia coli. The antioxidant activity is evaluated by scavenging free radicals of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl hydrate (DPPH). The efficiency of biogenic SnO2 nanoparticles as a promising antibacterial agent as well as an antioxidant for pharmaceutical applications is suggested.

Catalytically and biologically active silver nanoparticles synthesized using essential oil.

There are numerous reports on phytosynthesis of silver nanoparticles and various phytochemicals are involved in the reduction and stabilization. Pure explicit phytosynthetic protocol for catalytically and biologically active silver nanoparticles is of importance as it is an environmentally benign green method. This paper reports the use of essential oil of Myristica fragrans enriched in terpenes and phenyl propenes in the reduction and stabilization. FTIR spectra of the essential oil and the synthesized biogenic silver nanoparticles are in accordance with the GC-MS spectral analysis reports. Nanosilver is initially characterized by an intense SPR band around 420 nm, followed by XRD and TEM analysis revealing the formation of 12-26 nm sized, highly pure, crystalline silver nanoparticles. Excellent catalytic and bioactive potential of the silver nanoparticles is due to the surface modification. The chemocatalytic potential of nanosilver is exhibited by the rapid reduction of the organic pollutant, para nitro phenol and by the degradation of the thiazine dye, methylene blue. Significant antibacterial activity of the silver colloid against Gram positive, Staphylococcus aureus (inhibition zone--12 mm) and Gram negative, Escherichia coli (inhibition zone--14 mm) is demonstrated by Agar-well diffusion method. Strong antioxidant activity of the biogenic silver nanoparticles is depicted through NO scavenging, hydrogen peroxide scavenging, reducing power, DPPH and total antioxidant activity assays.

Catalytic degradation of organic dyes using biosynthesized silver nanoparticles.

The green synthesis of metallic nanoparticles paved the way to improve and protect the environment by decreasing the use of toxic chemicals and eliminating biological risks in biomedical applications. Plant mediated synthesis of metal nanoparticles is gaining more importance owing to its simplicity, rapid rate of synthesis of nanoparticles and eco-friendliness. The present article reports an environmentally benign and unexploited method for the synthesis of silver nanocatalysts using Trigonella foenum-graecum seeds, which is a potential source of phytochemicals. The UV-visible absorption spectra of the silver samples exhibited distinct band centered around 400-440 nm. The major phytochemicals present in the seed extract responsible for the formation of silver nanocatalysts are identified using FTIR spectroscopy. The report emphasizes the effect of the size of silver nanoparticles on the degradation rate of hazardous dyes, methyl orange, methylene blue and eosin Y by NaBH4. The efficiency of silver nanoparticles as a promising candidate for the catalysis of organic dyes by NaBH4 through the electron transfer process is established in the present study.

Spectroscopic, microscopic and catalytic properties of silver nanoparticles synthesized using Saraca indica flower.

The bioprospective field is dynamic area of research in the recent years. The present article reports a green synthetic route for the production of highly stable, bio-inspired silver nanoparticles using dried Saraca indica flower. The method is facile, cost effective, simple and reproducible. The reduction of silver ions and the formation of silver nanoparticles has been monitored using UV-visible spectroscopy. The TEM, SAED and XRD result reveal that the silver nanoparticles are crystalline in nature. FTIR spectra are used to identify the biomolecules that bind on the surface of silver nanoparticles, which increased the stability of the particles. S. indica flower extract plays its role as an excellent reducing agent of silver ions and the biosynthesized silver nanoparticles are safer to environment. Also the size dependent catalytic activity of silver nanoparticles in the reduction of cationic dye, Methylene blue by NaBH4 is studied by UV-visible spectroscopy. The efficiency of synthesized nanoparticles as an excellent catalyst is proved by the reduction of Methylene blue which is confirmed by the decrease in the absorbance with time and is attributed to electron relay effect.

Catalytic degradation of methylene blue using biosynthesized gold and silver nanoparticles.

The scientific community is searching for new synthesis methods for the production of metallic nanoparticles. Green synthesis has now become a vast developing area of research. Here we report for the first time to best of our knowledge, a new green method for the synthesis of silver and gold nanoparticles using the Kashayam, Guggulutiktham, an ayurvedic medicine. This method is nontoxic and environmentally benign. The reduction and the stabilization capacity of the ayurvedic Kashayam are described in this paper. The size and shape of the silver and gold nanoparticles can be tuned by varying the quantity of the Kashayam. The synthesized nanoparticles are characterized using UV-VIS spectroscopy, TEM, XRD and FTIR. The size dependent catalytic activity of the synthesized nanoparticles is established in the reduction of Methylene Blue (MB) by NaBH4.

Shape tailored green synthesis and catalytic properties of gold nanocrystals.

The use of environmentally benign procedures is highly desirable for the synthesis of nanoparticles. Here we report a simple, versatile, economic, ecofriendly and reproducible green method for the size-tunable synthesis of stable and crystalline gold nanoparticles of varied shape using aqueous extract of Garcinia Combogia fruit. The predominant anisotropic nature in the morphology of synthesized particles at lower quantities of extract gradually shifted to spherical particles with larger quantity of extract and increase of temperature. The onset of reduction, the time-evolution of the Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) and the catalytic activity are studied using UV-Visible spectroscopy. The Selected Area Diffraction (SAED) pattern, the lattice fringes in the High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopic (HRTEM) image and the X-ray Diffraction (XRD) pattern clearly show the pure crystalline nature of the synthesized gold nanoparticles. The role of carboxyl group present in Garcinia Combogia fruit extract in the reduction of chloroaurate ions is established using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectra. The size dependent catalytic activity of the green synthesized gold nanoparticles on the reduction of 4-Nitrophenol to 4-Aminophenol using sodium borohydride is studied and reported for the first time. The first order kinetics is fitted and rate constants are calculated. Catalytically active green synthesized gold nanoparticles with controllable size and shape presents an advanced step in future biomedical and chemical applications.

Synthesis of platinum nanoparticles using dried Anacardium occidentale leaf and its catalytic and thermal applications.

An environment friendly approach for the synthesis of Pt nanoparticles (NPs) using dried leaf powder of Anacardium occidentale is reported. The formation of Pt NPs is monitored using UV-Vis spectrophotometer. FTIR spectra reveal that proteins are bound to Pt nanoparticles. TEM images show irregular rod shaped particles which are crystalline. The quantity of leaf powder plays a vital role in determining the size of particles. Synthesized NPs exhibit good catalytic activity in the reduction of aromatic nitrocompound. The effective thermal conductivity of synthesized Pt/water nanofluid has been measured and found to be enhanced to a good extent.

Facile one-pot synthesis of gold and silver nanocatalysts using edible coconut oil.

The use of edible oil for the synthesis of metal nanoparticles by wet chemical method is reported for the first time. The paper presents an environmentally benign bottom up approach for the synthesis of gold and silver nanoparticles using edible coconut oil at 373 K. The formation of silver nanoparticles is signaled by the brownish yellow color and that of gold nanoparticles by the purple color. Fine control over the nanoparticle size and shape from triangular to nearly spherical is achieved by varying the quantity of coconut oil. The nanoparticles have been characterized by UV-Visible, Transmission Electron Microscopy and X-ray Diffraction. The chemical interaction of capping agents with metal nanoparticles is manifested using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy. The stable and crystalline nanoparticles obtained using this simple method show remarkable size-dependent catalytic activity in the reduction of the cationic dye methylene blue (MB) to leuco methylene blue (LMB). The first order rate constants calculated uphold the size dependent catalytic activity of the synthesized nanoparticles.

Synthesis of monodispersed palladium nanoparticles using tannic acid and its optical non-linearity.

Palladium nanoparticles with average size 11.3 nm have been synthesized via a one-step reduction and capping method. This colloidal route using tannic acid does not require any other surfactant or capping agent to direct the growth of palladium nanoparticles. The effect of temperature on the conversion of Pd(2+) ion to Pd(0) is investigated. The growth process of nanoparticles is monitored using UV-visible spectra. The morphology and phase transformation have been confirmed by transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. An attempt to reveal the capping mechanism of tannic acid is done through FTIR analysis. The optical non-linearity of the samples was studied using open aperture Z-scan technique. The significance of this protocol for the generation of environmentally benign palladium nanoparticles lies mainly in its simplicity and cost effectiveness.

Characterization and catalytic activity of gold nanoparticles synthesized using ayurvedic arishtams.

The development of new synthesis methods for monodispersed nanocrystals using cheap and nontoxic chemicals, environmentally benign solvents and renewable materials remains a challenge to the scientific community. The present work reports a new green method for the synthesis of gold nanoparticles. Four different ayurvedic arishtams are used for the reduction of Au(3+) to Au nanoparticles. This method is simple, efficient, economic and nontoxic. Gold nanoparticles having different sizes in the range from 15 to 23 nm could be obtained. The nanoparticles have been characterized by UV-Visible spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and FTIR analysis. The high crystallinity of nanoparticles is evident from bright circular spots in the SAED pattern and peaks in the XRD pattern. The synthesized gold nanoparticles show good catalytic activity for the reduction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol by excess NaBH(4). The synthesized nanoparticles are found to exhibit size dependent catalytic property, the smaller nanoparticles showing faster activity.

Synthesis characterization and catalytic action of hexagonal gold nanoparticles using essential oils extracted from Anacardium occidentale.

A new phytochemical method for the synthesis of gold nanoparticles is reported. The essential oils extracted from the fresh leaves of Anacardium occidentale are used for the reduction of auric acid to Au nanoparticles (NPs). The formation and morphology of synthesized NPs are investigated with the help of UV-visible, TEM and FTIR spectroscopy. The NPs synthesized at room temperature are mono-dispersed and hexagonal in shape with an average size of 36 nm while those prepared at higher temperature are composed of a mixture of anisotropic particles. The UV-visible absorption spectra of these anisotropic NPs show asymmetry in the longer wavelength side. The quantity of oil is an important criterion modulating the shape of NPs. Possible biochemical mechanism leading to the formation of NPs is studied using FTIR spectroscopy. The potential of synthesized Au NPs as catalyst is explored for the hydrogenation of p-nitro phenol to p-amino phenol at room temperature.

Green synthesis of gold nanoparticles using Trigonella foenum-graecum and its size-dependent catalytic activity.

The development of new synthesis methods for monodispersed nanocrystals using cheap and nontoxic chemicals, environmentally benign solvents and renewable materials remains a challenge to the scientific community. Most of the current methods involve known protocols which may be potentially harmful to either environment or human health. Recent research has been focused on green synthesis methods to produce new nanomaterials, ecofriendly and safer with sustainable commercial viability. The present work reports the green synthesis of gold nanoparticles using the aqueous extract of fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) as reducing and protecting agent. The pathway is based on the reduction of AuCl(4)(-) by the extract of fenugreek. This method is simple, efficient, economic and nontoxic. Gold nanoparticles having different sizes in the range from 15 to 25 nm could be obtained by controlling the synthesis parameters. The nanoparticles have been characterized by UV-Visible spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and FTIR analysis. The high crystallinity of nanoparticles is evident from clear lattice fringes in the HRTEM images, bright circular spots in the SAED pattern and peaks in the XRD pattern. FTIR spectrum indicates the presence of different functional groups present in the biomolecule capping the nanoparticles. The synthesized gold nanoparticles show good catalytic activity for the reduction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol by excess NaBH(4). The catalytic activity is found to be size-dependent, the smaller nanoparticles showing faster activity.

Rapid green synthesis of palladium nanoparticles using the dried leaf of Anacardium occidentale.

A rapid, one pot and biogenic fabrication of Pd nanoparticles is reported. Pd nanoparticles of size below 5 nm size are synthesized using the dried leaf powder of Anacardium occidentale. Rapid reduction results in the formation of spherical particles. The nanoparticles are characterized by XRD, TEM, UV-visible and FTIR analysis. The absorption spectra have continua which are characteristic of Pd nanoparticles. The broad nature of the XRD pattern arising due to reflections from the (111), (200), (220), (311) and (222) planes indicate crystallinity of the nanoparticles with face centered cubic (fcc) structure. The morphology and shape of the nanoparticles are obtained by analyzing TEM images. Most of the nanoparticles are spherical with size in the range 2.5 and 4.5 nm. FTIR spectra of dried Pd nanoparticles, native and treated dried leaf powder have been analyzed to find out the biomolecule responsible for the reduction of Pd(2+) and capping of the palladium nanoparticles. The possible mechanism of formation of the nanoparticles is suggested.

Green synthesis of well-dispersed gold nanoparticles using Macrotyloma uniflorum.

The synthesis of metal nanoparticles of different sizes, shapes, chemical composition and controlled monodispersity is an important area of research in nanotechnology because of their interesting physical properties and technological applications. Present work describes an eco-friendly method for the synthesis of spherical gold nanoparticles using aqueous extract of Macrotyloma uniflorum. The effects of quantity of extract, temperature and pH on the formation of nanoparticles are studied. The nanoparticles are characterized by UV-visible spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and FTIR analysis. The high crystallinity of nanoparticles with fcc phase is evident from HRTEM images, SAED and XRD patterns. Synthesized nanoparticles have size in the range 14-17nm. FTIR spectrum indicates the presence of different functional groups present in the bio-molecule capping the nanoparticles. The possible mechanism leading to the formation of gold nanoparticles is suggested.

Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles using Macrotyloma uniflorum.

Green synthesis of noble metal nanoparticles is a vast developing area of research. In this paper we report the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles using aqueous seed extract of Macrotyloma uniflorum. The effect of experimental parameters such as amount of extract, temperature and pH on the formation of silver nanoparticles was studied. The as prepared samples are characterized using XRD, TEM, UV-Visible and FTIR techniques. The formation of silver nanoparticles is evidenced by the appearance of signatory brown colour of the solution and UV-vis spectra. The XRD analysis shows that the silver nanoparticles are of face centered cubic structure. Well-dispersed silver nanoparticles with anisotropic morphology having size ∼12 nm are seen in TEM images. FTIR spectrum indicates the presence of different functional groups in capping the nanoparticles. The possible mechanism leading to the formation of silver nanoparticles is suggested.

Phytosynthesis of Au, Ag and Au-Ag bimetallic nanoparticles using aqueous extract and dried leaf of Anacardium occidentale.

Present study reports a green chemistry approach for the biosynthesis of Au, Ag, Au-Ag alloy and Au core-Ag shell nanoparticles using the aqueous extract and dried powder of Anacardium occidentale leaf. The effects of quantity of extract/powder, temperature and pH on the formation of nanoparticles are studied. The nanoparticles are characterized using UV-vis and FTIR spectroscopies, XRD, HRTEM and SAED analyses. XRD studies show that the particles are crystalline in the cubic phase. The formation of Au core-Ag shell nanoparticles is evidenced by the dark core and light shell images in TEM and is supported by the appearance of two SPR bands in the UV-vis spectrum. FTIR spectra of the leaf powder before and after the bioreduction of nanoparticles are used to identify possible functional groups responsible for the reduction and capping of nanoparticles. Water soluble biomolecules like polyols and proteins are expected to bring about the bio-reduction.