Biosynthesis of bifunctional silver nanoparticles for catalytic reduction of organic pollutants and optical monitoring of mercury (II) ions using their oxidase-mimic activity

In this study, an aqueous extract of Sclerocarya birrea leaves was used as a reducing agent to synthesize silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). The synthesis was carried out at room temperature and was both rapid and simple. Different characterization techniques such as UV/visible spectroscopy, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy were used to confirm the formation of AgNPs. The synthesized nanoparticles exhibited catalytic activity for the reduction of 4-nitrophenol, methyl orange, methylene blue, and rhodamine 6G. The catalytic activity was monitored by measuring the UV/visible absorbance spectra of the compounds using sodium borohydride as a reducing agent and found to be high. Additionally, the particles displayed oxidase-like activity. In the presence of AgNPs, 3, 3′, 5, 5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) which is colorless was transformed to oxidized TMB, which is blue, using dissolved oxygen as the oxidant. In the presence of Hg 2+ , the oxidase-like activity was enhanced. On the basis of this observation, an assay for the analysis of Hg 2+ was developed. The linear range of the calibration curve is wide (0–600 µM) and the limit of detection (LOD) is low, as small as 34.8 nM. The method is strongly selective towards Hg 2+ . Tap water obtained from the laboratory where these experiments were carried out was used to study the feasibility of the method in real sample analyses. Graphical abstract