Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles using Piper chaba Leaf Extract and its Application

By reducing the use of hazardous chemicals and removing biological dangers in biomedical applications, the environmentally friendly production of metallic nanoparticles cleared the path for environmental improvement and protection. The production of metal nanoparticles by green synthesis is becoming increasingly popular due to its ease of use, affordability, environmental friendliness, and economic viability. In this study, green synthesis of AgNPs was demonstrated by using piper chaba leaf extract which is a plant abundantly growing in South and Southeast Asia. The synthesized AgNPs were characterized using ultraviolet–visible (UV-vis), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and energy dispersive x-ray (EDX) spectroscopy. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and EDX were also used to characterize the obtained AgNPs. The visual observation of color change from colorless to reddish-brown gave a preliminary indication of the formation of AgNPs. The surface Plasmon resonance band at 444 nm from UV-vis analysis confirmed the formation of AgNPs. The obtained AgNPs were capped with phytochemicals as confirmed from FTIR analysis and consistent with EDX analysis. XRD analysis further confirmed the formation of AgNPs with face-centered cubic structures having an average crystallite size of 17.5 nm. SEM measurement revealed the formation of almost monodispersed spherical particles having an average size of 20 nm. In addition, the obtained AgNPs were employed for the colorimetric and spectrophotometric detection of Hg²⁺. AgNPs successfully detect Hg²⁺ by changing its color and the absorption band in UV-vis spectroscopic analysis. This green approach could be an alternative to the conventional chemical approaches toward the large-scale production of AgNPs for the selective detection of Hg²⁺ in wastewater and other potential uses.

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