Optical and electrochemical studies of silver nanoparticles biosynthesized by Haplophyllum tuberculatum extract and their antibacterial activity in wastewater treatment

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were biosynthesized through simple, fast, elegant and ecofriendly route using AgNO3 as a precursor and Haplophyllum tuberculatum aqueous extract. Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX) were used to determine the morphological properties, while Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and zeta potential were used to identify the capping molecules and the stability of the nanoparticles, respectively. AgNPs were electrochemically detected using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and its optical properties were investigated using UV-Vis and fluorescence spectroscopy. Our findings showed that AgNPs size ranges from 20 to 60 nm. FTIR studies referred to the role of polyphenolics in AgNPs stability. Zeta potential value (−42 mV) confirmed the high stability of AgNPs, while CV value (0.42 mV) explain the electrochemical behavior of the nanoparticles. Additionally, biosynthesized AgNPs have a brilliant antibacterial activity against total and fecal coliform in addition to the potent antibacterial activity against clinically isolated Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria. The employment of these AgNPs in disinfection protocols can potentially help us in various applications such as biological treatment of wastewater.