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Biosynthesis of bifunctional silver nanoparticles for catalytic reduction of organic pollutants and optical monitoring of mercury (II) ions using their oxidase-mimic activity

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Abstract

In this study, an aqueous extract of Sclerocarya birrea leaves was used as a reducing agent to synthesize silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). The synthesis was carried out at room temperature and was both rapid and simple. Different characterization techniques such as UV/visible spectroscopy, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy were used to confirm the formation of AgNPs. The synthesized nanoparticles exhibited catalytic activity for the reduction of 4-nitrophenol, methyl orange, methylene blue, and rhodamine 6G. The catalytic activity was monitored by measuring the UV/visible absorbance spectra of the compounds using sodium borohydride as a reducing agent and found to be high. Additionally, the particles displayed oxidase-like activity. In the presence of AgNPs, 3, 3′, 5, 5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) which is colorless was transformed to oxidized TMB, which is blue, using dissolved oxygen as the oxidant. In the presence of Hg2+, the oxidase-like activity was enhanced. On the basis of this observation, an assay for the analysis of Hg2+ was developed. The linear range of the calibration curve is wide (0–600 µM) and the limit of detection (LOD) is low, as small as 34.8 nM. The method is strongly selective towards Hg2+. Tap water obtained from the laboratory where these experiments were carried out was used to study the feasibility of the method in real sample analyses.

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Acknowledgements

The financial support for this project was obtained from the Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST) initiation grant (DVC/RDI/2/1/16I (48) that was awarded to MTA. It was furthermore supported by the DFG Excellence Cluster Quantum Frontiers, EXC 2123, DFG-RTG 1952/1, and the Quantum- and Nano-Metrology (QUANOMET) initiative of Lower Saxony within project NL-4. The authors thank Prof Wellington Masamba for his input in revising the manuscript. The authors would also like to thank Mr. Mothusi Madiba for the XRD analysis.

Funding

The financial support for this project was obtained from the Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST) initiation grant (DVC/RDI/2/1/16I (48), DFG Excellence Cluster Quantum Frontiers, EXC 2123, DFG-RTG 1952/1, and the Quantum- and Nano-Metrology (QUANOMET) initiative of Lower Saxony within project NL-4.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical and Forensic Sciences, Faculty of Science, Botswana International University of Science and Technology, Plot 10071, Private Bag 16, Palapye, Botswana

    Melisew Tadele Alula & Mildred Lesang Madingwane

  2. Institute for Condensed Matter Physics and Lab. for Emergent Nanometrology (LENA), Braunschweig University of Technology, Mendelssohnsstr. 3, 38106, Braunschweig, Germany

    Hongdan Yan & Peter Lemmens

  3. Institute Applied Physics and Lab. for Emergent Nanometrology (LENA), Braunschweig University of Technology, Mendelssohnsstr. 3, 38106, Braunschweig, Germany

    Liu Zhe & Markus Etzkorn

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  1. Melisew Tadele Alula
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  2. Mildred Lesang Madingwane
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  3. Hongdan Yan
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  4. Peter Lemmens
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  5. Liu Zhe
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Contributions

Melisew Tadele Alula: conceptualization, methodology, formal analysis, investigation, writing—original draft. Mildred Lesang Madingwane: investigation. Peter Lemmens: writing—review and editing. Hongdan Yan: investigation and formal analysis. Liu Zhe: investigation. Markus Etzkorn: resources. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Melisew Tadele Alula.

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Alula, M.T., Madingwane, M.L., Yan, H. et al. Biosynthesis of bifunctional silver nanoparticles for catalytic reduction of organic pollutants and optical monitoring of mercury (II) ions using their oxidase-mimic activity. Environ Sci Pollut Res 29, 81938–81953 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-21619-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-21619-7

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