Eco-Friendly Synthesis and Characterization of Iron Nanoparticles using Crude Extract from Eucalyptus globulus Leaves as Reducing and Capping Agents

In this work, Eucalyptus leaf extract was used as a reducing and capping agent to synthesize Iron nanoparticles (Fe-NPs) using iron (III) chloride as a metal iron salt. The synthesized nanoparticles were later characterized using various techniques. UV-Visible spectroscopy results show that Fe3+ was successfully reduced to Feo/Fe-NP with high absorption at a range of 217-300nm. In addition, FESEM/EDS results indicate that the particles possess irregular shapes together with a few spherical and cubic shapes of various sizes with an average diameter of about 70nm. Further, the EDS result confirms the chemical composition and stoichiometry of the particles. For example, iron was found to be in higher quantity together with oxygen, carbon and chloride. The FTIR results indicate most prominent peaks of functional groups belonging to important phytochemicals which serve as reducing and capping agents. The peaks were 3224.74, 1744, 1055 and 539.99 cm-1 which correspond to O-H group of phenolic acids and polyphenols, C=O stretching vibration in aldehydes and ketones, C-O-C of carboxylic acids and FeO/Fe-NPs stretching, respectively. The successful formation of Fe-NPs using the leaf extract of Eucalyptus is a great indicator that toxic chemicals can be eliminated from the conventional methods of synthesizing nanoparticles.