Phyto-Capped Ag Nanoparticles: Green Synthesis, Characterization, and Catalytic and Antioxidant Activities

Using a simple approach, silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) were synthesized from green coffee bean extract. The optical color change from yellowish to reddish-brown of the green-produced Ag NPs was initially observed, which was confirmed by the UV-Visible spectrophotometer's surface plasmonic resonance (SPR) bands at 329 and 425 nm. The functional groups of green coffee-capped Ag NPs (GC-capped Ag NPs) were studied using a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer, revealing that Ag NPs had been capped by phytochemicals, resulting in excellent stability, and preventing nanoparticle aggregation. The presence of elemental silver is confirmed by energy dispersive X-ray analysis. In addition to the measurement of the zeta potential of the prepared GC-capped Ag NPs, the size distribution is evaluated by the dynamic light scattering. Depending on the nano-morphological study, the particle diameter of Ag NPs is 8.6 ± 3.5 nm, while the particle size of GC-capped Ag NPs is 29.9 ± 4.3 nm, implying the presence of well-dispersed nanospheres with an average capsulation layer of thickness 10.7 nm. The phyto-capped Ag NPs were found to be crystalline, having a face-centered cubic (FCC) lattice structure and Ag crystallite size of ~7.2 nm, according to the XRD crystallographic analysis. The catalytic performance of phyto-capped Ag NPs in the removal of methylene blue dye by sodium borohydride (NaBH₄) was investigated for 12 min to reach a degradation efficiency of approximately 96%. The scavenging activities of 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radicals are also examined in comparison to previously reported Ag-based nano-catalysts, demonstrating a remarkable IC₅₀ of 26.88 µg/mL, which is the first time it has been recorded.