Eco-benign synthesis of α-Fe₂O₃ mediated Trachyspermum ammi: A new insight to photocatalytic and bio-medical applications

Environmental contaminants are a golabl concern, and even at very low quantities, they can be extremely harmful to the aquatic ecosystem. Microbial resistance and photocatalysis are popular strategies for removing hazardous substances from the environment. The present study developed the green synthesis of α-Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles from Trachyspermum ammi plant leaf extract. The crystalline and structural stability of green synthesized α-Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles were studied by XRD. The surface morphology was investigated by TEM and FESEM equipped with EDX analysis. Metal, oxygen bond (Fe-O) and their interaction on the surfaces and their valency were explored from FTIR and XPS spectra. Optical orientations and electron movements were revealed from UV-DRS analysis. Visible light photocatalytic methylene blue degradation confirmed the largest surface area, rate of recombination, photo-excited charge carriers, photo-sensitivity range and radical generations of α-Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles. The green synthesized α-Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles bacterial susceptibility was examined by the well diffusion method using (10, 20, 50, 100) µg/L concentration of nanoparticles. The antibacterial activity enhanced with the higher concentration of α-Fe₂O₃ (100 µg/L). The gram-negative bacteria of E.coli has high bacterial susceptibility on α-Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles. The reactive oxygen species and OH radicals of α-Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles are demonstrated better resistivity against bacterial strains. The present study, therefore, suggested that the green synthesis would be an appropriate approach to synthesize the nanomaterials and confirming their suitability for use in industrial wastewater treatment and biomedical applications.