Facile one-pot fabrication of multifunctional silver nanoparticles utilizing biowaste for efficient pollutant degradation, heavy metal sensing, and bactericidal activity

Citrus peels constitute around 8-10 % of total fruit biomass and are an abundant source of functional organic compounds, however, they are commonly regarded as waste and discarded. This study presents a facile one-pot synthesis method for the fabrication of multifunctional silver nanoparticles using the biowaste as a reducing, capping, and stabilizing agent for the synthesis. The utilization of biowaste not only aligns with sustainable practices but also imparts unique characteristics to the nanoparticles for diverse functionalities. Extensive spectroscopic and microscopic characterization validate the stability of the resulting AgNPs with an average diameter of 40 nm. The synthesized nanoparticles exhibit enhanced catalytic activities for complete degradation of toxic nitroaromatic pollutant 4-nitrophenol within 21 min. Additionally, the sensing capabilities of AgNPs render them highly sensitive to heavy metal mercury, offering potential applications in environmental monitoring. Furthermore, the AgNPs demonstrate comprehensive bactericidal properties tested against S. aureus at 0.0625 mg/mL, highlighting their potential in biomedical applications. Moreover, density-functional theory (DFT) studies were performed to compare the reducing and stabilizing characteristics of the main components present in the fruit peel extract, with ferulic acid identified as theoretically the most potent compound. This research introduces a promising avenue for the development of versatile nanoparticles with multifaceted properties utilizing the potential of biowaste to address crucial challenges in environmental remediation.