Catalytical and Antibacterial Potentials of Bio-Mediated Silver Nanoparticles Synthesized From Seeds Extract of Corymbiaficifolia

Metal nanoparticles have gained remarkable attention due to their numerous applications in various fields ranging from catalysis to medicine. The present study reports synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using aqueous seeds extract of Corymbiaficifolia. The nanoparticles were characterized by UV-visible and FTIR, SEM-EDX and XRD. The UV-visible spectral study reveals that characteristics peak observed at 370 nm is due to excitation of the surface plasmon resonance (SPR). In FTIR spectrum the peaks identified at 1028 and 1286 cm−1 correspond to the presence C-O functional group, and peaks 1687 and 1834 cm-1 correspond to the presence C=O, whereas peaks appear at 1172 and 2920 cm−1 presence of C-N and C-H function groups of the phytochemical presence in extract which may act as capping and reducing agent for formation of nanoparticles. Additionally, peaks appeared at 530 and 453 cm−1 indicating the presence Ag−O binding in AgNPs. SEM image shows that the spherical and nano nature of the particles and EDX spectrum shows existence of elemental silver and other signals corresponding to C, N, O, and Cl suggested that the phyto constituents of the extract were bound to the surface of AgNPs. The XRD study shows that the crystalline nature of AgNPs. The catalytic role of AgNPs for reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) by NaBH4 was investigated. The reduction process follows a pseudo first-order kinetic model. The solvent effect study on 4-NP reduction demonstrated that solvent polarity play an important role on reduction. The antibacterial activity of AgNPs on Escherichia coli, a Gram-negative bacterium was also investigated. The formation of inhibition zone of the cell growth of Escherichia coli was found to occur in 18 h corresponding to AgNPs concentration of 50 µg.mL-1 i.e considered as the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC).