Sunlight-mediated green synthesis of silver nanoparticles using Sida retusa leaf extract and assessment of its antimicrobial and catalytic activities

The present work reports the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using the leaf extract of Sida retusa. The extract acts both as the stabilizing and the reducing agent. This is a simple, cost-effective, stable for long time and reproducible aqueous synthesis method of silver nanoparticles. UV–Vis absorption spectrum, FT-IR, PXRD, EDX, SEM, TEM and AFM techniques were used for the characterization of the synthesized silver nanoparticles. The silver nanoparticles-catalyzed NaBH4 reduction reactions of methylene blue (MB), methyl orange (MO), p-nitroaniline (p-NA), and p-nitrophenol (p-NP) were studied which showed excellent catalytic activities of nanoparticles. The antibacterial activities of the synthesized silver nanoparticles were tested for both gram-positive and gram-negative bacterial strains and they show high antibacterial activity towards each kind of bacterial strains under consideration.