Synthesis, Characterization and Applications of Biogenic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles

Abstract

Biosynthesis of iron oxide nanoparticles (FeONPs) using the leaf extracts of Simarauba glauca (Sg) and Artocarpus altilis (Aa) was investigated in this work. The FeONPs were characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and evaluated for antibacterial, biofilm inhibition and dye degradation activities. The crystalline polydispersed FeONPs with size range of 43-48nm prepared from Sg and 36-44nm prepared from Aa leaf extracts absorbed maximally at 250 and 220nm for Sg FeONPs and Aa FeONPs respectively. The FT-IR study indicated that the carboxyl (−C=O), hydroxyl (−OH), and amine (N-H) groups in Sg and Aa leaf extracts are mainly involved in reduction of iron to Iron oxide nanoparticles. The FeONPs showed potent antibacterial activities against Bacillus subtilis, Proteus vulgaris. E. coli and S. aureus. Bacillus biofilms treated with nanoparticles synthesized from the leaf extracts of Simarauba glauca (Sg) and Artocarpus altilis (Aa), showed biofilm dispersion with more than 75 % reduction within 24 h. Furthermore, the FeONPs degraded the dyes malachite green and methyl orange to the tune of >80 %. This study has shown that the biosynthesized FeONPs could be deployed for biomedical and environmental applications.