Activity of Bambusa vulgaris extract in reducing silver nanoparticles: evaluation against methylene blue organic pollutant and microbial agents

This article presents an investigation focusing on successfully synthesising silver nanoparticles with zero valences. The synthesis involves utilising an extract from bamboo leaves, specifically those obtained from the Bambusa vulgaris species. X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared, and ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy characterised the synthesised Ag nanomaterials. The X-ray diffraction pattern obtained from the collected samples confirms the presence of a face-centred cubic structure and a significant level of crystallinity. The studied materials had a spherical morphology, as determined by transmission electron microscopy analysis. The particle size was measured to be 22 nm. FT-IR analysis validates the presence of biomolecules in the leaf extract, which is accountable for the reduction of Ag⁺ ions and subsequent stabilisation of Ag nanoparticles. Without chemical agents, the reduction of Ag ions to Ag was confirmed using UV–Vis spectroscopy. This analytical technique revealed a peak at 450 nm, indicating surface plasmon resonance. Photogenerated electron carriers can be inferred from a distinct and diverse set of photoluminescence spectra. The study also includes an analysis of the photocatalytic effectiveness of the synthesised silver nanoparticles, specifically in the breakdown of methylene blue (MB) dye. The efficacy of the silver nanoparticle (Ag NP) photocatalyst was assessed by examining the degradation process of a methylene blue dye solution in an aqueous medium under direct sunlight exposure. The experiment also evaluated the impact of catalyst dosage and dye concentration on the efficient degradation of MB dye. The investigation findings indicate that the optimal catalyst dosage and dye concentration were determined to be 0.015 mg/mL and 10 µM, respectively. Notably, the photocatalytic degradation process exhibited remarkable efficacy, with a peak efficiency of 94% after 120 min under direct solar irradiation. The experimental results suggest that the synthesised particles demonstrate a disintegration rate of 96% over 120 min when exposed to visible light. The utilisation of bio-processed silver nanoparticles has exhibited the achievement of phase purity during the manufacturing process, as well as an enhancement in catalytic efficacy. It implies that the synthesised technique offers a more advantageous option for producing nanoparticles on a large scale, potentially applicable in wastewater treatment at a broad level.