Plant Assisted Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles Using Boerhaavia diffusa Leaves Extract and Evolution of Antibacterial Activity

In recent years, green synthesis of silver nanoparticles has gained much interest from chemist and researchers. This has to achieving through numerous sources of cost-effective non-hazardous reducing and stabilizing compounds utilized in preparing silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). The synthesis of nanoparticles from plant sources has proved to be an effective and alternative method for the novel production of nanoparticles. This study investigates an efficient and sustainable route of AgNPs preparation from 1 mM aqueous AgNO₃ using leaf extracts of Boerhaavia diffusa well adorned for their wide availability and medicinal property. The synthesized silver nanoparticles were characterized by UV-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, Fourier infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) coupled with Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS). UV-vis spectra of AgNPs and visual perception of brownish yellow color from colorless reaction mixture confirmed the AgNPs formation. Involvement of functional groups of Boerhaavia diffusa leaf extract in the reduction and capping process of nanoparticles was well displayed in Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). An investigation of the shape and size of nanoparticle was done by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopic studies. The antibacterial effect of the silver nanoparticles was tested against pathogenic bacterial strains like Pseudomonas sp, Klebsiella pneumonia, Salmonella sp, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus sp.