Aegle marmelos Leaf Extract Based Synthesis of Nanoiron and Nanoiron+Au Particles for Degradation of Methylene Blue

In this study, nanoiron and nanoiron+Au particles were synthesised using aqueous Aegle marmelos extract using a facile and one-pot approach. Lower size non-magnetic nanoiron (~34 nm) and nanoiron (~34 nm) +Au particles (1 to 1.5 µm) were produced from the same medium individually. Nanoparticles suspension behaviour and structural characterisations were carried out by UV-Vis spectroscopy, electron microscopy and by X-ray diffraction techniques. Primarily, for synthesis, a simple bioreduction approach generated amorphous nanoiron particles, which on annealing produced magnetic maghemite, γ-Fe₂O₃ type nanoparticles with sizes 100 to 1000 nm. Posteriorly, the bioreduction process also produces nanoiron+Au particles and can be used for multifunctional applications. As a model application, catalytic application of the as-prepared nanoiron and nanoiron+Au particles towards methylene blue, a thiazine dye degradation is investigated and found to be effective within 20 min. Langmuir-Hinshelwood kinetic model was exploited to know the degradation behaviour, and the model was found to be fit based on R² values with the observed experimental data. We suggest that the formed highly stable nanoiron particles with in situ stabilisation offer benefits like consistency, environmental friendliness and suits well for large-scale applicability.