Green synthesis of Ag@ZnO nanocomposites using Cassia Alata leaf extract and surfactant complex for photodegradation of Rhodamin6G

[Display omitted] •Ag@ZnO NPs synthesized by an eco-friendly method.•Photocatalytic activity of Ag@ZnO is greater in the presence of visible light.•Maximum photo-degradation on Rhodamine6G within 15 min.•As synthesized Ag@ZnO NPs follows pseudo first order kinetics model.•The rate constant for the degradation of R6G with catalyst is 0.014 min -1. Our research mainly focused on the synthesis, characterization and application of metallosurfactant assisted silver decorated ZnO nanoparticles (Ag@ZnO NPs), which can be utilized in environmental applications. In the present report, a green and ecofriendly way to produce metallo-surfactant assisted Ag@ZnO nano particles developed from Cassia Alata leaf extract as reducing and and metallo-surfactant [Co(dpq)2(C12H25NH2)2](ClO4)3 act as stabilizing agent and zinc oxide consists of a single Ag nanoparticle on its surface. The nanoparticle was characterized by using XRD, TEM, DRS and XPS. Electronic absorption studies showed in the range 400 to 420 nm characteristic sharp absorbance and a single peak suggesting that there is no self-aggregation, whereas the infra-red results shows the metallo-surfactant for the stability of the AgNPs due to the presence of metallo surfactant to prevent the agglomeration. XRD shows the sharp peaks by the purity of Ag@ZnO and also studied by HR-TEM which confirms the NPs size which falls in the range from 10 nm. The size of the Ag nanoparticles can be precisely controlled by varying the pH and amount of metallo-surfactant additive. The functional groups found in Ag@ZnO nanoparticles isolated from leaves are responsible for the FT-IR speakes that correspond to them. Moreover, the photocatalytic experiments showed Ag@ZnO possessed excellent visible light photocatalytic activity for the degradation of R6g. The concentration at 1.5x10-2 M of the prepared metallo-surfactant assisted Ag@ZnO has enhanced a higher photocatalytic activity within a 15 min, which could be attributed to its morphological behaviour.