Structural, optical and antimicrobial properties of green synthesized cerium oxide nanoparticles

The This article is to report non toxic, green synthesis cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeO2 NPs) from ammonium ceric nitrate using Moringa oleifera leaf extract as reducing as well as stabilizing agent. The as prepared nanoparticles were characterised by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Raman spectroscopy, Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), UV-Visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV), and EDAX. The average crystallite size was estimated from the XRD pattern using Debye Scherrer equation as about 9-10 nm. XRD analysis revealed the cubic fluorite structure of the synthesized nanoparticles. FT-IR reflects stretching frequencies at 500 cm−1 which confirmed the Ce-O stretching bands and showing utilization of natural components for the production of nanoparticles. TGA predicts the successful capping of CeO2 NPs by bioactive molecules present in the plant extract. The SEM images reveal that the prepared ceria nanoparticles are composed of spherical nanoparticles in agglomerated form. The as-synthesized CeO2 nanoparticles have antibacterial activity. The desired structural and optical properties of CeO2 make it as promising material for photocatalytic and optoelectronic applications.