Plant-mediated green synthesis of nanomaterials has been increasingly gaining popularity due to its eco-friendly nature and cost-effectiveness. In the present study, we synthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) by using an aqueous solution of Saudi Origanum vulgare L. plant extract as a bioreducing agent. The as-synthesized AgNPs were characterized using various microscopic and spectroscopic techniques. The results indicated the formation of crystalline face-centered cubic (fcc) AgNPs. Additionally, FT-IR study confirmed that the O. vulgare L. extract not only functioned as a bioreductant but also stabilized the surface of the AgNPs by acting as a capping agent. Moreover, the effect of the amount of the plant extract on the size and the antimicrobial activity of the NPs was also assessed. It was found that with increasing amounts of plant extract, the size of the NPs was decreased. Moreover, as-synthesized AgNPs as well as O. vulgare L. plant extract were separately tested to examine their antimicrobial activities. The activities were tested against various bacterial and fungal microorganisms including Shigella sonnei, Micrococcus luteus, Escherichia coli, Aspergillus flavus, Alternaria alternate, Paecilomyces variotii, Phialophora alba, and so on. These results evidently show that the inclusion of O. vulgare L. extracts improves the solubility of AgNPs, which led to a significant enhancement in the toxicity of the NPs against the assessed microorganisms.

Green synthesis of nanomaterials finds the edge over chemical methods due to its environmental compatibility. Herein, we report a facile and eco-friendly method for the synthesis of palladium (Pd) nanoparticles (NPs) using an aqueous solution of Pulicaria glutinosa, a plant widely found in a large region of Saudi Arabia, as a bioreductant. The as-prepared Pd NPs were characterized using ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The hydroxyl groups of the plant extract (PE) molecules were found mainly responsible for the reduction and growth of Pd NPs. FT-IR analysis confirmed the dual role of the PE, both as a bioreductant as well as a capping ligand, which stabilizes the surface of Pd NPs. The crystalline nature of the Pd NPs was identified using XRD analysis which confirmed the formation of a face-centered cubic structure (JCPDS: 87-0641, space group: Fm3m (225)). Furthermore, the as-synthesized Pd NPs demonstrated excellent catalytic activity towards the Suzuki coupling reaction under aqueous and aerobic conditions. Kinetic studies of the catalytic reaction monitored using GC confirmed that the reaction completes in less than 5 minutes.

The synthesis of Palladium (Pd) nanoparticles by green methods has attracted remarkable attention in recent years because of its superiority above chemical approaches, owing to its low cost and ecological compatibility. In this present work, we describe a facile and environmentally friendly synthesis of Pd nanoparticles (Pd NPs) using an aqueous extract of aerial parts of Origanum vulgare L. (OV) as a bioreductant. This plant is available in many parts of the world as well as in Saudi Arabia and is known to be a rich source of phenolic components, a feature we fruitfully utilized in the synthesis of Pd NPs, using various concentrations of plant extracts. Moreover, the OV extract phytomolecules are not only accountable for the reduction and progression of nanoparticles, but they also act as stabilizing agents, which was confirmed by several characterization methods. The as-synthesized Pd nanoparticles (Pd NPs) were analyzed using ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). Further, FT-IR study has proven that the OV not merely represents a bioreductant but also functionalizes the nanoparticles. Furthermore, the green synthesized metallic Pd NPs were successfully applied as catalysts for selective oxidation of alcohols.

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Recently, green reduction of graphene oxide (GRO) using various natural materials, including plant extracts, has drawn significant attention among the scientific community. These methods are sustainable, low cost, and are more environmentally friendly than other standard methods of reduction. Herein, we report a facile and eco-friendly method for the bioreduction of GRO using Salvadora persica L. (S. persica L.) roots (miswak) extract as a bioreductant. The as-prepared highly reduced graphene oxide (SP-HRG) was characterized using powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron (XPS) spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Various results have confirmed that the biomolecules present in the root extract of miswak not only act as a bioreductant but also functionalize the surface of SP-HRG by acting as a capping ligand to stabilize it in water and other solvents. The dispersion quality of SP-HRG in deionized water was investigated in detail by preparing different samples of SP-HRG with increasing concentration of root extract. Furthermore, the dispersibility of SP-HRG was also compared with chemically reduced graphene oxide (CRG). The developed eco-friendly method for the reduction of GRO could provide a better substitute for a large-scale production of dispersant-free graphene and graphene-based materials for various applications in both technological and biological fields such as electronics, nanomedicine, and bionic materials.