ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Bio-fabrication of Cu/Fe/Zn nanoparticles and its antioxidant and catalytic activity

Utsav Bhusal, Arpita Roy, and Srijal Kunwar

Department of Biotechnology, School of Engineering and Technology, Sharda University, Greater Noida, India

E-mail: arbt2014@gmail.com

Received: 18 April 2023  Accepted: 24 July 2023

Abstract:

In recent decades, the field of nanotechnology has been on the rise as it has the ability to establish a valuable, healthy, and safe living environment by using a greener approach. One such approach involves the green synthesis of trimetallic nanoparticles (NPs). The term “green” refers to the fact that the synthesis methods are usually nontoxic, inexpensive, and energy-efficient. Green synthesis techniques often result in nanoparticles that are more stable, biocompatible, and safe for use in both environmental and biomedical applications. These trimetallic NPs have proven to have better catalytic and antimicrobial activity than mono- or bimetallic nanoparticles owing to their synergistic effects. This study presents a biological approach to synthesise Cu/Fe/Zn trimetallic nanoparticles by utilising the leaf extract of Catharanthus roseus for the first time. The nanoparticles were characterised using UV–vis spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), dynamic light scattering (DLS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) along with energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS). The average crystalline size of the synthesised Cu/Fe/Zn NPs was found to be around 32 nm. The synthesised NPs were discovered to be a mixture of triangular and spherical forms using SEM. At a concentration of 1000 µg/ml, the synthesised Cu/Fe/Zn nanoparticles demonstrated scavenging activity of 75.76%. The dye degradation activity data for eosin yellow and phenol red showed notable degradation of 74% and 88% respectively, indicating the potential for further study in the area. Therefore, Cu/Fe/Zn NPs synthesised from the leaf extracts of Catharanthus roseus might serve as a novel catalytic agent in the treatment of wastewater contaminated with dyes.

Keywords: Trimetallic nanoparticles; Biosynthesis; Characterisation; Catalytic activity; Antioxidant

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.1007/s11696-023-03001-0

Chemical Papers 77 (11) 7099–7111 (2023)