Biosynthesis of Silver Nanoparticles Using Tabernaemontana ventricosa Extracts

Abstract

Nanoscience and nanotechnology have been rapidly developing due to the increased use of nanoparticles in several fields including health (antibacterial agents), medicine, chemistry, food, textiles, agricultural sectors, and nanofluids. The study aimed to biologically synthesize AgNPs using leaf and stem extracts of Tabernaemontana ventricosa. The AgNPs were successfully synthesized and verified using UV-visible spectroscopy; however, the synthesis of the AgNPs was more efficient using the leaf extracts rather than the stem extracts. The energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis showed that the elemental silver (Ag) content was much higher using leaf extracts compared to the stem extracts. The AgNPs synthesized using both leaf and stem extracts were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and images displayed spherical, ovate, and triangular-shaped nanoparticles (NPs), which varied in particle size ranging from 16.06 ± 6.81 nm to 80.26 ± 24.93 nm across all treatments. However, nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA) displayed much larger particle sizes ranging from 63.9 ± 63.9 nm to 147.4 ± 7.4 nm. The Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectral analysis observed functional groups such as alcohols, phenolic compounds, aldehydes, alkanes, esters, amines, and carboxylic acids. Our study suggests that medicinal plant extracts can be used for the effective economical production of AgNPs due to their efficient capping; however, further studies are necessary to determine the possible function groups and phytochemicals within T. ventricosa that are responsible for the synthesis of AgNPs.