Biosynthesis of ZnO and CuO nanoparticles using sunflower petal extract

A simple, and green method for the biosynthesis of CuO and ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) using sunflower petal extract (SFPE), without any chemical agents for regenerating and stabilizing, is presented. The effect of SFPE concentration, the amount of used petals for the extraction process, and the synthesis temperature of nanoparticles were evaluated. The optimum conditions for the synthesis of CuO NPs were the extraction from 5 g petals in 100 mL deionized water and a furnace temperature of 400 degrees C. Similar conditions were applied for the synthesis of ZnO NPs. The characterization of nanoparticles was done by FE-SEM, EDX, TEM, UV-VIS, FT-IR, TGA, DLS, and XRD. The CuO NPs are spherical with a size of less than 50 nm and the ZnO NPs have similar morphology to CuO NPs with a particle size less than 20 nm. XRD patterns for CuO and ZnO NPs indicate a monoclinic and hexagonal crystal structure, respectively.

Automated summary

A simple and environmentally friendly method for synthesizing CuO and ZnO nanoparticles using sunflower petal extract was presented. The optimal conditions for CuO and ZnO nanoparticle synthesis were determined by evaluating the concentration of the petal extract, amount of petals used, and synthesis temperature. Characterization of the nanoparticles was conducted using various techniques, and it was found that CuO nanoparticles were spherical with a size less than 50 nm, while ZnO nanoparticles had a similar morphology with a particle size less than 20 nm. The XRD patterns indicated monoclinic and hexagonal crystal structures for CuO and ZnO nanoparticles, respectively.