Green Synthesis, Structural Characterization and Photocatalytic Applications of ZnO Nanoconjugates Using Heliotropium indicum

Abstract

In recent years, biosynthesized zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) have been gaining importance due to their unique properties and tremendous applications. This study aimed to fabricate ZnO NPs by using extracts from various parts of the traditional medicinal plant Heliotropium indicum (H. indicum) and evaluate their photocatalytic activity. Further, their potential in photoluminescence and fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) was assessed. The Ultraviolet-Visible spectrum exhibited a hypsochromic shifted absorption band between 350–380 nm. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis revealed spherical NPs, while X-ray diffraction (XRD) data revealed wurtzite, hexagonal and crystalline nature. The TEM and XRD consistently determined an average particle size range from 19 to 53 nm. The photocatalytic degradation reaches a maximum of 95% for biogenic ZnO NPs by monitoring spectrophotometrically the degradation of methylene blue dye (λmax = 662.8 nm) under solar irradiation. Photoluminescence analysis revealed differentiated spectra with high-intensity emission peaks for biogenic ZnO NPs compared with chemically synthesized ZnO NPs. Eventually, the highest efficiency of FRET (80%) was found in ZnO NPs synthesized from the leaves. This remains the first report highlighting the multifunctional ZnO NPs capabilities mediated by using H. indicum, which could lead to important potential environmental and biomedical applications.

Effectiveness of Se/ZnO NPs in Enhancing the Antibacterial Activity of Resin-Based Dental Composites

“…The synthesized pristine and Se/ZnO NPs were confirmed by several characterization techniques routinely used [ 15 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 ]. The first confirmation was done by UV-Vis spectrophotometry from UV-2800 BMS Biotechnology Medical Services, Madrid, Spain, spectrophotometer.…”

Green Synthesis of NiO-SnO2 Nanocomposite and Effect of Calcination Temperature on Its Physicochemical Properties: Impact on the Photocatalytic Degradation of Methyl Orange

“…SnO 2 NPs have been fabricated using physical and chemical methods such as laser ablation, the sol–gel method, spray pyrolysis, microemulsion, microwaves, electrochemical deposition, co-precipitation, and hydrothermal, sonochemical, solvothermal, and non-aqueous routes [ 20 , 30 , 31 ]. Importantly, the paucity of reports on the photodegradation of dyes with NiO NPs and SnO 2 NPs compared to TiO 2 NPs and ZnO NPs [ 7 , 13 , 14 , 18 , 21 , 22 , 32 ] justifies the present study.…”

“…Compared to the other alternatives, semiconductor-based photocatalytic degradation has been proven to be an efficient, rapid, economical, and environmentally friendly process [ 10 , 11 , 12 ]. The photocatalysis process obeys the basic principle of the advanced oxidation process (AOP) to generate reactive radical species with UV radiation to catalyze organic pollutant degradation [ 7 , 13 , 14 ].…”

“…Different types of metal and metal oxide nanoparticles have been synthesized for various applications, such as catalysis, energy storage devices, dye-based solar cells, and biomedicines [ 2 , 7 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 ].…”

Bio-Inspired Smart Nanoparticles in Enhanced Cancer Theranostics and Targeted Drug Delivery

“…Recent studies have demonstrated that green synthesis has gained a lot of popularity since it can produce NPs with superior morphological, photochemical, photocatalytical, and electrochemical properties compared to physiochemical synthesis. This method has become one of the preferred methods for synthesizing ZnO nanoparticles [ 13 ]. Similarly, BSA (bovine serum albumin)-silver nanoparticles are potentially promising candidates for treating skin cancer in a multimodal manner [ 14 ].…”