Green Fabrication of ZnO Nanoparticles with Coriandrum sativum Leaf Extract: Investigating Catalytic and Antimicrobial Potentials

Sustainable approach to synthesizing nanoparticles is a requirement now. In current research work, a sustainable green method using Coriandrum sativum leaf extract was used to synthesize zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles. The confirmation of the synthesized product was done using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Photoluminescence (PL), UV-Visible spectroscopy, and powder X-ray Diffraction analysis. pXRD analysis showed orthorhombic structure with 1.8 nm (by Scherrer equation) and PL spectroscopy gave emission and excitation peak at 536 nm. The band gap, determined from the UV–visible absorption spectra via Tauc’s plot method, was found to be approximately 3.37 eV. The photocatalytic efficiency of ZnO against methylene blue dye was found to be 82% and the antibacterial activity was found against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. The observed negative surface charge of -2.1 mV determined by zeta potential analysis, supported these results by indicating moderate colloidal stability and electrostatic interactions. The negatively charged ZnO surface enhances adsorption of positively charged dye molecules and facilitates interaction with bacterial membranes, contributing to both photocatalytic and antibacterial effects.