Ecofriendly green synthesis of Ag@Cu bimetallic nanoparticles using <i>Seidlitzia stocksii</i> stem extract: photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue
Arif Nazir, Mahmood Ali, Norah Alwadai, Munawar Iqbal, Maryam Al Huwayz, Abida Kausar, Hamza Arif, Abid Ali, Ahmad Raza Ashraf
Abstract
Abstract This study focuses on the synthesis of silver/copper bimetallic nanoparticles (Ag/Cu BMNPs) using Seidlitzia stocksii stem aqueous extract. The synthesized product was characterized by powder X-rays diffraction techniques (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Energy dispersive X-rays spectroscopy (EDX), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The bimetallic nature of the particles was confirmed by XRD whereas the elemental composition was verified by EDX analysis. FTIR and SEM were used to determine the presence of different functionalities and morphology of the prepared BMNPs respectively. The photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue was analyzed using solar light. Nearly 44 % degradation was observed for 70 min of irradiation with excellent rate constant. Results revealed that the synthesized material is a potential candidate in the field of photocatalysis. Moreover, this may be contributed to presence of BMNPs. It may be concluded that the prepared material could be applied as cost effective and ecofriendly catalyst for the degradation of toxic pollutants from industrial effluents.