Antibacterial and Photocatalytic activities of silver nanoparticles synthesized by Paeonia emodi leaves extract

In the present study, an eco-friendly and facile method for biogenic synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) has been developed using leaves extract of Paeonia emodi. The addition of plant leaves extract to silver nitrate solution results in the colour change of the solution, indicating the formation of silver nanoparticles. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction(XRD), Dynamic light scattering (DLS), FTIR and Transmission electron microscopy(TEM).The XRD analysis shows that the AgNPs are of face centered cubic(FCC)structure. TEM analysis showed that the synthesized AgNPs have spherical shape with the particles size varying from5-40 nm. The synthesized AgNPs possess significant antimicrobial potential against gram's positive and gram's negative bacteria. The photocatalytic activity of the synthesized silver nanoparticles was examined by degradation of methylene blue under sunlight irradiation.