Biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles from Cymbopogon citratus leaf extract and evaluation of their antimicrobial properties

Background: Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are toxic to microorganisms and can potentially kill multidrug-resistant bacteria. Nanoparticles can be synthesized in many ways, such as physical or chemical methods. Recently, it has been found that plant molecules can perform the same reduction reactions necessary for the production of nanoparticles but in a much more efficient way. Results: Here, green chemistry was employed to synthesize AgNPs using leaf extracts of Cymbopogon citratus. The effects of different parameters such as temperature, pH, and the volume of plant extract were also tested using their absorbance pattern at different wavelengths. The Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) changed with the changes in parameters. Changes in temperature from 20 °C to 60 °C have changed the highest absorbance from 0.972 to 3.893 with an SPR of 470 nm. At higher pH (11.1), the particles become highly unstable and have irregular shapes and sizes. The peak shifts to the right at a lower pH level (3.97), indicating a smaller but unstable compound. We have also investigated the effect of the volume of plant extracts on the reaction time. The sample with the highest amount of plant extract showed the most absorbance with a value of 0.963 at λmax, calculated to be 470 nm. The total formation of the AgNPs was observed visually with a color change from yellow to brownish-black. UV-visible spectroscopy was used to monitor the quantitative formation of AgNPs, showing a signature peak in absorbance between 400 and 500 nm. We have estimated the size of the nanoparticles as 47 nm by comparing the experimental data with the theoretical value using Mieplot. The biosynthesized AgNPs showed enhanced antibacterial activity against several multidrug-resistant bacteria, determined based on the minimal inhibitory concentration and zone of inhibition. Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate that an aqueous extract of C. citratus can synthesize AgNPs when silver nitrate is used as a precursor, and AgNPs act as antimicrobial property enhancers, which can be used to treat antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Hence, mass production and green synthesis of AgNPs from C. citratus will be able to increase the overall health of the general population. Moreover, it will enormously reduce the costs for drug development and provide employment options in the remotely located source areas. Finally, our findings will influence further studies in this field to better understand the properties and applications of AgNPs and ultimately contribute to improving planetary health by increasing immunity with high biocompatibility and less drug toxicity

A Brief Study on Optical and Mechanical Properties of an Organic Material: Urea Glutaric Acid (2/1)—A Third Order Nonlinear Optical Single Crystal

Urea glutaric acid (UGA), an organic crystal, was synthesized and grown using a low temperature solution technique. Single crystal XRD revealed a monoclinic structure with a C2/C space group. The various cell data were identified. The optical parameters were calculated from UV-visible spectrum. The transmittance spectra showed the cutoff wavelength as 240 nm (low) and the energy gap determined from the spectra was compared with the theoretical energy gap. The transition number revealed the electron transition, which corresponded to direct allowed transition. The diverse optical parameters like reflectance, extinction coefficient, refractive index and optical susceptibility were determined. The least value of Urbach energy caused less defects and a good crystalline nature. The steepness value and electron phonon interaction were calculated. The positions of lower and higher band energy levels were identified. Electronic polarizability was found using the Clausius–Mossoti relation and tabulated. The mechanical fitness was measured from Vickers hardness analysis. The nonlinear optical property was measured from Z-scan analysis. Thus, the optical results support the material suitability and fitness for optical and electronic domain applications