We demonstrate a green chemistry approach to synthesize narrow-sized zerovalent iron (nZVI) nanoparticles using Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam. leaf extract as reducing and capping agent. The produced nZVI was characterized by various instrumental methods including ultraviolet-visible spectra, transmission electron microscopy, vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), X-ray diffraction, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Based on the electron microscopy observations, the particle size was estimated to be ∼30 nm. In VSM, the saturation point of magnetization was observed to be 0.6 emu g-1 under a magnetic field of 0 ± 30 kOe. The synthesized nZVI was amorphous in nature as per the XRD results. The catalytic activity of the nZVI was employed for the catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) and decoloration of textile dyes such as methylene blue, methyl orange, and malachite green, respectively. The proposed nZVI synthesis method exhibited better catalytic performance toward reduction of 4-NP and degradation of dyes within 4 min for 0.1 mg of catalyst. Moreover, the synthesized catalyst nZVI can be recoverable and reutilized in many cycles without loss of its significant catalytic activity. The synthesized nZVI could be a promising material to treat industrial wastewater via profitable, sustainable, and ecofriendly approaches.
We present a biogenic method for the synthesis of palladium nanoparticle (PdNP)-modified by reducing graphene oxide sheets (rGO) in a one-pot strategy using Ficus carica fruit juice as the reducing agent. The synthesized material was well characterized by morphological and structural analyses, including, Ultraviolet-Visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Raman spectroscopy. The results revealed that the PdNP modified GO are spherical in shape and estimated to be a dimension of ~0.16 nm. The PdNP/graphene exhibits a great catalytic activity in Suzuki cross-coupling reactions for the synthesis of biaryl compounds with various substrates under both aqueous and aerobic conditions. The catalyst can be recovered easily and is suitable for repeated use because it retains its original catalytic activity. The PdNP/rGO catalyst synthesized by an eco-friendly protocol was used for the Suzuki coupling reactions. The method offers a mild and effective substitute to the existing methods and may significantly contribute to green chemistry.