Green synthesis of iron oxide nanoparticles by aqueous leaf extract of Daphne mezereum as a novel dye removing material

Green synthetic method is an important process that can be used for the synthesis of iron nanoparticles in the field of nanotechnology because of its characteristics of low cost and high efficiency for industrial large-scale production. In this study, iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) were synthesized by a simple bio-reduction method. Aqueous leaf extract of Daphne mezereum was used as a reducing and stabilizing agent. Ultraviolet–visible (UV–vis) absorption spectroscopy was used to monitor the dye removing ability of IONPs. Also, IONPs were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), particle size analysis (PSA), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffractometer (XRD), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), and thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA). The average diameter of the prepared NPs ranged from 6.5 to 14.9 nm with a mean particle size of 9.2 nm. In addition, the synthesized iron nanoparticles were tested for dye removing activities. The decoloration efficiency of INPs catalyzed reaction was about 81% after 6 h. Thus, it could be concluded that D. mezereum aqueous leaf extract can be used efficiently in the production of iron oxide NPs for commercial applications in environmental fields.