Rapid Synthesis of Gold Nanoparticles with Ginger Waste using Microwave Irradiation
In the present investigation, synthesis of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) was carried out with microwave irradiation of HAuCl4 and the extract of ginger waste. Synthesized AuNPs were characterized by various techniques including UV-visible spectroscopy (UV-vis), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), dynamic light scattering (DLS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The TEM images revealed that the nanoparticles were spherical in shape and the average particle size of the AuNPs was found to be approximately 6 ± 2 nm. The stability of gold nanoparticles was analyzed by zeta potential measurements. A negative zeta potential value of -18.4 mV indicates the stability of the AuNPs. Further, gold nanoparticles exhibited the excellent catalytic activity in reducing 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol in the presence of NaBH4 (reducing agent), and it was found to depend on the amount of AuNPs and temperature. Gold nanoparticles did not show any significant antibacterial activity against the pathogenic bacteria studied.