Green Synthesis of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticle by Using Argemone Mexicana

Citation

Vaishnav, S. N. (2026). Green Synthesis of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticle by Using Argemone Mexicana. International Journal of Research, 13(13), 537–545. https://doi.org/10.26643/ijr/2026/s13/63

Satish N. Vaishnav

Department of Chemistry, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Arts and Science College, Ainpur Tal. Raver,                     Pin-425507

Corresponding author: drsatishvaishnav @gmail.com

 

Abstract

In the present study, the green synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles was carried out by using extraction of Argemone Mexicana plant. This is one of the low-cost natural way to synthesize the nanoparticles for sustainable nature. The Argemone Mexicana play a role of natural reducing and stabilizing agents by eliminating the prerequisite role of toxic chemical used earlier for the synthesis. The zinc precursor, particularly, zinc acetate was reacted with the plant extract under controlled conditions resulting in formation ZnO nanoparticles. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized using X-ray diffraction, Field-effect Scanning Microscope and UV-Vis spectrophotometer to investigate structural, morphological an optical behavior of the synthesized nanoparticles. It is found that the synthesized ZnO nanpaticles possesses hexagonal wurtzite ZnO structure with crystalline size range between 5-10 nm. The optical properties exhibit the optical energy band gap around 3.03 eV.  The green synthesis approach offers an environmentally sustainable alternative to the conventional methods which is quite hazardous. The zinc oxide nanoparticles has a significant potential to use in fabrication of optoelectronic devices and as well as in antimicrobial activity and photocatalysis applications.

 

Keywords: Argemone Mexicana, ZnO, XRD, FE-SEM

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 Introduction

Nanotechnology has emerged as a rapidly advancing field due to the unique physicochemical properties of materials at the nanoscale, which differ significantly from their bulk counterparts [1,2]. Among various metal oxide nanoparticles, zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles have attracted considerable attention because of their wide band gap, high exciton binding energy, chemical stability, and biocompatibility [3]. These properties make ZnO nanoparticles highly suitable for diverse applications in photocatalysis, optoelectronics, sensors, cosmetics, antimicrobial agents, environmental remediation, and biomedical fields [3–5].

Conventional synthesis methods for ZnO nanoparticles, such as chemical precipitation, sol–gel, and hydrothermal techniques, often require toxic chemicals, high temperatures, and complex processing steps, leading to environmental and health concerns [5,6]. To overcome these limitations, green synthesis has emerged as an eco-friendly, sustainable, and cost-effective alternative that aligns with the principles of green chemistry [6,7].

Green synthesis utilizes biological systems including plant extracts, microorganisms, and biomolecules as reducing, stabilizing, and capping agents, thereby avoiding hazardous reagents and minimizing energy consumption [7,8]. Among these approaches, plant-mediated synthesis is particularly advantageous due to its simplicity, rapid reaction rates, ease of scale-up, and availability of diverse phytochemicals [9,10]. These phytochemicals—such as flavonoids, alkaloids, phenolics, terpenoids, and proteins—play a crucial role in metal ion reduction and nanoparticle stabilization [10,11].

Several studies have reported the successful green synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles using various plant extracts, demonstrating excellent antimicrobial, catalytic, and photocatalytic properties [12–17]. The size, morphology, and functional properties of ZnO nanoparticles are strongly influenced by the nature of the plant extract and synthesis parameters [9,13].

Argemone mexicana is a medicinal plant widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions and is known for its rich phytochemical profile and pharmacological importance [18]. The presence of bioactive compounds in Argemone mexicana makes it a promising candidate for the green synthesis of metal and metal oxide nanoparticles [8,18]. However, limited studies are available on the synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles using Argemone mexicana, highlighting the need for further investigation.

The present study focuses on the green synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles using Argemone mexicana plant extract as a natural reducing and capping agent. This environmentally benign approach provides a sustainable route for ZnO nanoparticle synthesis while enhancing their potential applicability in antimicrobial and environmental applications [5,12,15].

 

Experimental Details

Zinc acetate dihydrate (Zn(CH₃COO)₂·2H₂O, analytical grade) was used as the zinc precursor. Fresh leaves of Argemone mexicana were collected locally. All chemicals were of analytical grade and used without further purification. Double-distilled water was used throughout the experiment

Fresh leaves of Argemone mexicana were thoroughly washed with tap water followed by distilled water to remove dust and impurities. The cleaned leaves were shade-dried and then finely chopped. About 10 g of chopped leaves were heated in 100 mL of distilled water at 70 °C for 30 minutes. The resulting mixture was allowed to cool to room temperature and filtered using Whatman No. 1 filter paper. The clear filtrate obtained was used as the plant extract for the synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles.

An aqueous solution of zinc acetate dihydrate (0.1 M) was prepared using distilled water. The prepared Argemone mexicana leaf extract was added dropwise to the zinc acetate solution under continuous magnetic stirring at room temperature. The pH of the reaction mixture was adjusted to alkaline conditions (pH ~10) using sodium hydroxide solution. The reaction mixture was stirred continuously for 3 hours until the formation of a pale white precipitate was observed, indicating the formation of zinc hydroxide precursor.

The obtained precipitate was centrifuged and washed several times with distilled water followed by ethanol to remove residual impurities and unreacted biomolecules. The purified precipitate was then dried in a hot air oven at 100 °C for 12 hours. The dried powder was subsequently calcined at 500 °C for 1 hours to obtain crystalline zinc oxide nanoparticles.

The obtained Zinc oxide nanoparticles were used to study its physical properties, particularly, structural and optical properties. The study of structural property was carried by using X-ray diffractometer, the surface morphology was investigated by using Field-effect Scanning Electron Microscope (FE-SEM) and optical study was done via UV-Vis spectrophotometer.

Result and Discussion

Figure 1 shows the X-ray diffraction pattern of the synthesized ZnO nanoparticles that was recorded in the range of 20^o to 60 ^o . The diffraction peaks observed at 31.72, 34.42, 36.2, 47.4 and 56.6 degrees corresponds to the (hkl) planes of (100), (002), (101), (102) and (110) respectively.  The observed planes validates the formation of hexagonal wurtzite crystal structure of green synthesized ZnO nanoparticles [15,18]. The obtained XRD pattern is in good agreement with JCPDS card No.  36-1451, suggesting the synthesized nanoparticles crystalline in nature and without any impurity.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 1: X-ray diffraction pattern of green synthesized ZnO nanoparticles.

 

The FE-SEM image shown in figure 2 indicate that the growth of ZnO nanoparticles is uniform and possesses the particle size of 5-10nm. The uniform growth of ZnO nanoparticles promises that the natural green synthesis is the way forward to adopt the environmentally sustainable route to industrial-scale the production of ZnO nanoparticles [17]. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                 Figure 2: FE-SEM image of green synthesized ZnO nanoparticles.

 

As synthesized ZnO nanoparticles were dissolved in ethanol solution and sonicated for 15 min. The concentration of solution was 0.5mg/ml. The quartz cuvette having optical path length of 10mm. The baseline measurement was done with pure ethanol solution followed by the measurement of ZnO nanoparticles solution. The measuring range was 300 to 800 nm with the scan speed of 400nm/sec. 

Figure 3 shows the absorption spectra of ZnO-Arge-Mxicana. From spectra it is observed that the sample have exciton peak at around 350 nm indicating formation of ZnO particles [12].

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                  Figure 3: UV-Vis spectra of green synthesized ZnO nanoparticles.

 

 

From the Tac’s plot  as shown in figure 4, we have calculated the optical energy band gap of ZnO nanoparticles. It is found that ZnO-Arge-Mxicana has an optical band-gap of 3.03 eV. So this wideband gap material can be potentially useful for the optoelectronic devices particularly, organic solar cell, organic light-emitting diode and transparent transistors.  

.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 4: Tac’s Plot of (ahnd)² vs hn  for ZnO nanoparticles synthesized by Argemone Mexicana plant extraction.

 

Conclusions

ZnO nanoparticles were successfully synthesized by  using agremone Mexicana plant extraction. The X-ray diffraction pattern reveals the hexagonal wurtzite crystal structure of the synthesized nanoparticles without any impurity. The FE-SEM image confirms the obtained nanoparticles have a uniform particle size of 5-10 nm. The UV-Vis spectra recorded in the range of 300-800nm   exhibit optical band energy is around 3.03eV.

 

 

 

Acknowledgement

Author is greatly thankful to Principal Dr. J. B. Anjane of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Arts and Science College, Ainpur Tal. Raver for his valuable support to carry out the research work. He is also thankful to Prin. Dr. R. R. Ahire for allowing me to perform optical study at Department of Physics, Sitaram Govind Patil College, Sakri.

 

 

1.      Rosi, N. L.; Mirkin, C. A. Nanostructures in Biodiagnostics. Chem. Rev. 2005, 105, 1547–1562. https://doi.org/10.1021/cr030067f.

2.      Khan, I.; Saeed, K.; Khan, I. Nanoparticles: Properties, Applications and Toxicities. Arab. J. Chem. 2019, 12, 908–931. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arabjc.2017.05.011.

3.      Özgür, Ü.; Alivov, Y. I.; Liu, C.; Teke, A.; Reshchikov, M. A.; Doğan, S.; Avrutin, V.; Cho, S. J.; Morkoç, H. A Comprehensive Review of ZnO Materials and Devices. J. Appl. Phys. 2005, 98, 041301. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1992666.

4.      Singh, J.; Dutta, T.; Kim, K. H.; Rawat, M.; Samddar, P.; Kumar, P. ‘Green’ Synthesis of Metals and Their Oxide Nanoparticles: Applications for Environmental Remediation. J. Nanobiotechnol. 2018, 16, 84. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12951-018-0408-4.

5.      Anjum, S.; Hashmi, A. A.; Malik, S. A. Antibacterial Activity of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Synthesized by Green Method Using Plant Extracts. Appl. Nanosci. 2016, 6, 395–401. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13204-015-0443-8.

6.      Agarwal, H.; Venkat Kumar, S.; Rajeshkumar, S. A Review on Green Synthesis of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles – An Eco-Friendly Approach. Resour.-Efficient Technol. 2017, 3, 406–413. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.reffit.2017.03.002.

7.      Iravani, S. Green Synthesis of Metal Nanoparticles Using Plants. Green Chem. 2011, 13, 2638–2650. https://doi.org/10.1039/C1GC15386B.

8.      Sharma, D.; Kanchi, S.; Bisetty, K. Biogenic Synthesis of Nanoparticles: A Review. Arab. J. Chem. 2019, 12, 3576–3600. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arabjc.2015.11.002.

9.      Sangeetha, G.; Rajeshwari, S.; Venckatesh, R. Green Synthesis of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles by Aloe barbadensis Miller Leaf Extract: Structure and Optical Properties. Mater. Res. Bull. 2011, 46, 2560–2566. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.materresbull.2011.07.046.

10.  Harborne, J. B. Phytochemical Methods: A Guide to Modern Techniques of Plant Analysis; Springer: Dordrecht, 1998.

11.  Ahmed, S.; Saifullah; Ahmad, M.; Swami, B. L.; Ikram, S. Green Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles Using Azadirachta indica Aqueous Leaf Extract. J. Radiat. Res. Appl. Sci. 2016, 9, 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrras.2015.06.006.

12.  Vijayakumar, S.; Mahadevan, S.; Arulmozhi, P.; Sriram, S.; Praseetha, P. K. Green Synthesis of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Using Atalantia monophylla Leaf Extracts: Characterization and Antimicrobial Analysis. Mater. Sci. Semicond. Process. 2018, 82, 39–45. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mssp.2018.03.017.

13.  Nagajyothi, P. C.; Minh An, T. N.; Sreekanth, T. V. M.; Lee, J.; Lee, D. J. Green Route Biosynthesis: Characterization and Catalytic Activity of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles. Mater. Lett. 2013, 108, 160–163. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matlet.2013.06.050.

14.  Rajiv, P.; Rajeshwari, S.; Venckatesh, R. Bio-Fabrication of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Using Leaf Extract of Parthenium hysterophorus and Its Size-Dependent Antifungal Activity. Spectrochim. Acta, Part A 2013, 112, 384–387. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.saa.2013.04.072.

15.  Prasad, K. S.; Pathak, D.; Patel, A.; Dalwadi, P.; Prasad, R.; Patel, P.; Selvaraj, K. Biogenic Synthesis of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Using Ocimum tenuiflorum Leaf Extract and Their Antibacterial Activity. Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 2013, 52, 4683–4691. https://doi.org/10.1021/ie400093y.

16.  Dhiman, N.; Awasthi, R.; Sharma, B.; Khanna, P. K. Green Synthesis of ZnO Nanoparticles Using Calotropis gigantea Leaf Extract and Their Antibacterial Activity. J. Mater. Sci.: Mater. Electron. 2019, 30, 16452–16463. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-019-01959-6.

17.  Ghosh, S.; Patil, S.; Ahire, M.; Kitture, R.; Kale, S.; Pardesi, K.; Cameotra, S. S.; Bellare, J.; Dhavale, D. D.; Jabgunde, A.; Chopade, B. A. Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles Using Dioscorea bulbifera Tuber Extract and Evaluation of Its Synergistic Potential. Int. J. Nanomed. 2012, 7, 483–496. https://doi.org/10.2147/IJN.S27343.

18.  Rahman, A. U.; Akhtar, F. Phytochemical and Pharmacological Importance of Argemone mexicana: A Review. Int. J. Pharm. Sci. Res. 2016, 7, 2691–2697.