Aegle marmelos Leaf Extract Based Synthesis of Nanoiron and Nanoiron+Au Particles for Degradation of Methylene Blue

Abstract In this study, nanoiron and nanoiron+Au particles were synthesised using aqueous Aegle marmelos extract using a facile and one-pot approach. Lower size non-magnetic nanoiron (~34 nm) and nanoiron (~34 nm) +Au particles (1 to 1.5 µm) were produced from the same medium individually. Nanoparticles suspension behaviour and structural characterisations were carried out by UV-Vis spectroscopy, electron microscopy and by X-ray diffraction techniques. Primarily, for synthesis, a simple bioreduction approach generated amorphous nanoiron particles, which on annealing produced magnetic maghemite, γ-Fe2O3 type nanoparticles with sizes 100 to 1000 nm. Posteriorly, the bioreduction process also produces nanoiron+Au particles and can be used for multifunctional applications. As a model application, catalytic application of the as-prepared nanoiron and nanoiron+Au particles towards methylene blue, a thiazine dye degradation is investigated and found to be effective within 20 min. Langmuir-Hinshelwood kinetic model was exploited to know the degradation behaviour, and the model was found to be fit based on R2 values with the observed experimental data. We suggest that the formed highly stable nanoiron particles with in situ stabilisation offer benefits like consistency, environmental friendliness and suits well for large-scale applicability.