Green Synthesis of ZnO Nanoparticles Using Plant Extract as a Template

Plant-based nanoparticles (NPs) have found great interest among various scientist in the present era and used in various sector including medicine, agriculture, and food industry. The various chemical constituents of plants aid in the bioreduction of metal ions to a nanoscale. Among the various NPs synthesized, zinc oxide (ZnO) NPs hold a premier position. ZnO NPs have use in textile, cosmetic, diagnostics, optoelectronics, photocatalysis, diodes, and many other areas. NPs synthesized through green synthesis have a potentially greater role in treating clinical pathogens. Present investigations show a simple eco-friendly method for the synthesis of ZnO NPs from the husk of sunflower seeds. Sunflower is an economically important crop, for the formation of edible oil. The husk is considered to be a waste, product in oil industry, however, the biomolecules present in sunflower husk can be used to produce ZnO NPs. Present investigations reveal formation of ZnO NPs and investigations of their structure through scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Their optical properties have been studied by ultraviolet–visible spectrophotometer (UV–Vis) and fluorophotometer. ZnO NPs have also been investigated for their potential phytoremedial properties.