Garcinia indica Leaf Extract Derived Ag-Zn Nanocomposites: A Sustainable Approach for Textile Dyes Photodegradation

The recent advancements for the biosynthesis of nanoparticles from plant biomass offer a promising avenue for the sustainable and environmentally friendly production of nanomaterials. The utilization of plant extracts as bioreductants and capping agents leverages naturally occurring biomolecules for the controlled synthesis of nanoparticles, minimizing environmental impacts and promoting a more sustainable nanotechnology landscape. This study explores the biofabrication of silver-zinc nanocomposites (Ag-Zn NCs) using Garcinia indica leaf extract, offering a green and sustainable alternative to conventional methods. The synthesized nanocomposites were characterized using UV-vis, FTIR, XRD and TEM analyses. The UV-vis spectra confirmed the formation of nanocomposites with distinct surface plasmon resonance peaks (355 nm and 408 nm). FTIR identified functional groups involved in the bioreduction, while XRD indicated a crystalline size of 6.26 nm. TEM images revealed a mixture of hexagonal, spherical and rod-shaped nanocomposites with an average size of 40.37 nm. Furthermore, the study evaluated the photocatalytic activity of the Ag-Zn NCs against various reactive textile dyes (RY-86, RY-145, RB-220 and RB-222). Remarkably, the nanoparticles achieved an impressive 87-100% degradation of these dyes within 160-320 min under UV irradiation. This highlights the potential of biofabricated Ag-Zn NCs for environmental remediation, particularly in treating dye contaminated industrial effluents. This work demonstrates the feasibility of using G. indica leaf extract for the sustainable synthesis of Ag-Zn NCs with efficient dye degradation capabilities.