Evolution of an ecological and biogenic experimental process for synthesis of nanoparticles is evolving into a significant
offshoot of nanotechnology. As an important metal, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have a number of applications in medical domain.
Since these silver nanoparticles have been used for infection prevention in the medical study, it may be more relevant to reduce their
size by using ancient Indian herbal plants. A green rapid biogenic synthesis of silver nanoparticles using Tragia involucrata,
Cymbopogon citronella, Solanum verbascifolium and Tylophora ovata aqueous extracts was demonstrated in this present study. The
pathway of nanoparticles formation is by means of reduction of AgNO3 by leaf extracts, which acts as both reducing and capping
agents. The formation of the silver nanoparticles was observed within 15 min. The properties of prepared nanoparticles were
characterized by visual examination (color change), UV absorption, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Field
Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD). An intense surface plasmon resonance band at
~454 nm, ~452 nm, ~458 nm and ~447 nm in the UVevisible spectrum clearly reveals the formation of silver nanoparticles. FTIR
spectrum confirms the existence of various functional groups of biomolecules capping the nanoparticles. XRD studies reveal a high
degree of crystallinity and monophasic Ag nanoparticles of face-centered cubic structure. The morphology of the particles formed
consists of varied shapes such as rod, flower-like, spherical and hexagonal pattern. The biosynthesis of nanoparticles has received
increasing attention due to the growing demand to produce secure, cost-effective and environmentally friendly technologies for
nanomaterials synthesis.
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