Title: Biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles from biowaste pomegranate peels

Authors: Naheed Ahmad; Seema Sharma

Addresses: Department of Botany, Patna University, Patna 800005, India. ' Department of Physics, AN College, Patna 800013, India

Abstract: We present a simple and eco-friendly biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles using Pomegranate peel extract as the reducing agent. The extract was challenged with AgNO₃ solution for the production of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). The reaction process was simple for the formation of highly stable silver nanoparticles at room temperature by using the biowaste of the fruit. The morphology and crystalline phase of the NPs was determined from UV-Vis spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED), X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectra and Fourier-Transform IR spectroscopy (FTIR). TEM studies showed that the silver nanoparticles obtained were of sizes 5 ± 1.5 nm. An effort has also been made to understand the possible involved mechanism for the biosynthesis of AgNPs. Presumably biosynthetic products or reduced cofactors play an important role in the reduction of respective salts to nanoparticles.

Keywords: phytodiversity; AgNPs; X-ray diffraction; XRD; biowaste; biosynthesis; silver nanoparticles; pomegranate peel; nanotechnology.

DOI: 10.1504/IJNP.2012.048013

International Journal of Nanoparticles, 2012 Vol.5 No.3, pp.185 - 195

Received: 25 Feb 2011
Accepted: 17 Jun 2011
Published online: 20 Aug 2014 *

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