Biosynthesis of TiO2 nanoparticles by Acalypha indica; photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue

Now a day the green synthesis of TiO2 nanoparticles has several advantages over synthetic methods such as ecofriendly, cost-effective and nonhazardous. In this study, Acalypha indica has been used for the synthesis of TiO2. TiO2 nanoparticles were characterized using ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). In UV spectra, wide band appeared at 333 nm. FTIR spectra confirmed the presence of alcohol group (3364.53 & 3448.83 cm(-1)), alkane group (2872.73 & 2970.83 cm(-1)) and strong C-O stretch (1092.93 & 1113.28 cm(-1)). XRD peaks showed that synthesized TiO2 nanoparticles have both anatase and rutile phase. The surface morphology of the TiO2 was studied using FESEM which showed a porous surface on the nanoparticles. Since TiO2 is a well-known photocatalyst, methylene blue dye has been used for the investigation of photocatalytic activity.