Green synthesis of zero valent Iron nanoparticles using malva extract and their antimicrobial activity

Abstract

Green synthesis of metallic nanoparticles has accumulated an ultimate interest over the last decade due to their distinctive properties that make them applicable in various fields of science and technology. Metal nanoparticles that are synthesized by using plants have emerged as nontoxic and ecofriendly. In the current study, the optimal reaction condition for the synthesis of zero valent iron nanoparticles using Malva extract was developed. For the first time, aqueous extract of Malva parviflora was used as a sustainable source of reducing and capping agents to synthesize zero valent iron nanoparticles. The resulting particles were characterized using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffractometer (XRD) and Malvern Zetasizer Nano ZSP-dynamic light scattering – (DLS) for size and zeta potential determination. After reaction optimization the synthesized particles at pH=7 had an average size of 130 nm with a PDI = 0.25 thus the particles can be considered as monodispersed. The prepared particles were found to be amorphous zero-valent iron nanoparticles. The FTIR showed that polyphenols which serve as reducing and stabilizing agents play a significant role in the synthesis of NPs and reduce the possibility of aggregation of NPs. Synthesized particles were tested for antimicrobial activity against human pathogenic Gram- negative Escherichia coli and Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus. Synthesized particles were found effective against Staphylococcus aureus while ineffective against Escherichia coli.