Banyan latex: a facile fuel for the multifunctional properties of MgO nanoparticles prepared via auto ignited combustion route

MgO nanoparticles (MNPs) were prepared by a solution combustion route using banyan tree (BT) latex and glycine as fuels. The powder x-ray diffraction results indicate the formation of a single cubic phase and the crystallite size obtained from transmission electron microscopy was found to be similar to 10-15 nm. Scanning electron microscopy result reveals spherical-shaped particles obtained with BT latex. However, in a chemical route, porous and agglomerated particles were obtained. The energy band gap of MNPs obtained using BT latex and a chemical route were found to be in the range 4.85-5.0 eV. Photoluminescence peaks observed at 473, 514, and 588 nm when excited at 433 nm, which were attributed to surface defects. The enhanced photocatalytic activities of spherical MgO were due to smaller crystallite size, higher surface defects, dye sensitization, and capability to reduce the electron-hole pair recombination. Further, green-synthesized MNPs exhibit superior antifungal activity against various plant pathogens. The present studies demonstrated a green engineering route for the synthesis of multifunctional MNPs using BT latex.