Neoteric environmental detoxification of organic pollutants and pathogenic microbes via green synthesized ZnO nanoparticles

The present study has for the first time reported Prunus cerasifera leaf extract-mediated zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) in a green and one-pot synthetic mode without utilization of any chemical reducing agents. Synthesized nanoparticles were analysed by ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transmission infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). UV-Vis peak was detected at 380 nm due to surface plasmon resonance. A variety of biomolecules were revealed by FTIR involved in reduction cum stabilization of ZnO NPs. Wurtzite hexagonal geometry with an average crystallite size of 12 nm was obtained from XRD diffraction pattern. SEM exhibited size ranges of 80-100 nm and 60-100 nm for 200°C and 600°C calcination temperatures. Synthesized nanoparticles were used as bio-cleaning photocatalysts against organic pollutants, i.e. bromocresol green, bromophenol blue, methyl red and methyl blue, which yielded pseudo-first-order reaction kinetics (R² = 0.98, 0.92, 0.92 and 0.90, respectively). Pollutants expressed higher degradation percentages in less than 14 min in direct solar irradiance. Moreover, synthesized nanoparticles were tested against resistant microbes, i.e. Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus terreus, Penicillium chrysogenum, Fusarium solani, Lasiodiplodia theobromae, Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri and Psuedomonas syringae for the development of a new generation of antimicrobial agents.