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Green synthesis of α-Fe2O3 and α-Fe2O3@Ag NC for degradation of rose Bengal and antimicrobial activity

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Abstract

The growing concern over wastewater pollution caused by hazardous organic dyes has necessitated the search for eco-friendly and efficient methods to combat dye contamination. Nanotechnology has emerged as a promising solution, with photocatalysis playing a vital role in organic pollutant degradation. This study presents a novel and eco-friendly approach to the green synthesis of α-Fe2O3@Ag nanocomposites (NCs) using Citrus sinensis leaf extract as a biocompatible reducing agent. The synthesized NCs were characterized using various techniques, including UV–vis spectrometry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. We explore their potential applications in the degradation of rose Bengal dye and antimicrobial activity. The synthesized α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles (NPs) and α-Fe2O3@Ag NCs exhibited a spherical and cubical morphology with an average particle size of 50 nm. Furthermore, the average crystallite sizes were determined to be 25.65 nm for α-Fe2O3 NPs and 23.53 nm for α-Fe2O3@Ag. Notably, the optical band gap energy of α-Fe2O3 NPs and α-Fe2O3@Ag NCs was calculated to be 1.94 and 1.25 eV, respectively. The α-Fe2O3@Ag NCs exhibit superior photocatalytic efficiency, achieving a degradation rate of 95.15% within 60 min under sunlight exposure, outperforming α-Fe2O3 NPs (90.99%). The NC demonstrates strong antimicrobial activity against various bacterial strains, with inhibition zones ranging from 15 to 19 mm at 20 mg/mL concentration. Moreover, both α-Fe2O3@Ag NCs and α-Fe2O3 NPs exhibit anti-candidiasis activity against Candida albicans. The findings underscore the promising potential of α-Fe2O3@Ag NCs as sustainable and efficient solutions for dye degradation and antimicrobial activity, offering a greener approach to nanomaterial synthesis and environmental remediation.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the Laboratory of Biotechnology Biomaterials and Condensed Matter at the University of El Oued, Algeria, and the Researchers Supporting Project (RSP2023R160), King Saud University (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Exact Sciences, University of El Oued, 39000, El Oued, Algeria

    Rachida Zouari Ahmed & Soumaia Chihi

  2. Department of Process Engineering and Petrochemical, Faculty of Technology, University of El Oued, 39000, El Oued, Algeria

    Salah Eddine Laouini, Chaima Salmi, Abderrhmane Bouafia, Souhaila Meneceur & Hamdi Ali Mohammed

  3. Laboratory of Biotechnology Biomaterials and Condensed Matter, Faculty of Technology, University of El Oued, 39000, El Oued, Algeria

    Salah Eddine Laouini, Chaima Salmi, Abderrhmane Bouafia, Souhaila Meneceur & Hamdi Ali Mohammed

  4. Department of Chemistry, College of Science, King Saud University, 11451, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

    Fahad Alharthi

  5. Departamento de Ingeniería Química, Escuela Politécnica Superior, Universidad de Sevilla, 41012, Seville, Spain

    Johar Amin Ahmed Abdullah

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  1. Rachida Zouari Ahmed
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Contributions

Conceptualization, R.Z.A., S.E.L., C.S., A.B., S.M., H.A.M., S.C., J.A.A.A., and F.A.; data curation, R.Z.A., S.E.L., C.S., A.B., S.M., H.A.M., S.C., J.A.A.A., and F.A.; formal analysis, R.Z.A., A.B., S.M., and F.A.; investigation, R.Z.A., S.E.L., C.S., A.B., S.M., H.A.M., S.C., J.A.A.A., and F.A.; methodology, R.Z.A., S.E.L., C.S., A.B., S.M., and F.A.; project administration, R.Z.A., S.E.L., S.C., A.B., S.M., H.A.M., C.S., and F.A.; resources, R.Z.A., S.E.L., C.S., A.B., S.M., H.A.M., S.C., J.A.A.A., and F.A.; software, R.Z.A., A.B., S.M., and F.A.; supervision, S.M., A.B., S.E.L.; validation, R.Z.A., S.E.L., C.S., A.B., S.M., H.A.M., S.C., and F.A.; visualization, R.Z.A., S.E.L., C.S., A.B., S.M., H.A.M., S.C., and F.A.; writing — original draft, R.Z.A., S.E.L., C.S., A.B., S.M., H.A.M., S.C., and F.A.; writing — review and editing, R.Z.A., S.E.L., C.S., A.B., S.M., H.A.M., S.C., and F.A.; the authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Abderrhmane Bouafia.

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Zouari Ahmed, R., Laouini, S.E., Salmi, C. et al. Green synthesis of α-Fe2O3 and α-Fe2O3@Ag NC for degradation of rose Bengal and antimicrobial activity. Biomass Conv. Bioref. (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13399-023-05046-3

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