Green synthesis of Sulphur Nanoparticles assisted by a herbal surfactant in aqueous solutions

A novel and green method to synthesise sulphur nanoparticles (SNPs) through precipitation reaction of aqueous sodium thiosulphate catalysed by oxalic acid using a herbal surfactant in aqueous solutions is reported. The herbal surfactant, saponin, was extracted from a native plant called Acanthe Phylum Bracteatum grown in Urmia West Azerbaijan, Iran. The SNPs were characterised by dynamic light scattering, scanning electron microscopy, transmission EM, atomic force microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. On the basis of the particle characterisation data, the mean size of SNPs was recorded about 40 nm. The monodispersed SNPs owe their size to micelle formation of saponin around the sulphur particles.