Green synthesis of TiO2 nanoparticles using aqueous extract of the bark of Ficus religiosa and investigation of their role in antibacterial activity

Abstract

In this study, the titanium dioxide was synthesized from the aqueous bark extract of Ficus religiosa (Peepal tree). The green-colored nanoparticles were identified by UV-Visible spectroscopy, XRD (X-rays diffraction), TEM (Transmission electron microscopy), SEM-EDX (Scanning Electron Microscopy- Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectrometry), AFM (Atomic force microscopy), and FT-IR (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy). The green synthesized titanium dioxide nanoparticles were of varying sizes and shapes. These nanoparticles were analyzed for their antibacterial activity in both the bacteria Gram-negative as well as Gram-positive. Agar disc diffusion has been used to assess antibacterial activity. Against Escherichia coli (Gram-negative bacteria), a greater zone of inhibition has been seen in comparison to Staphylococcus aureus (Gram-positive bacteria). Overall, this study is focused on the employment of a green approach for the precise nanoparticle preparation of TiO2 (Titanium dioxide) utilizing an aqueous bark extract of Ficus religiosa for the first time along with the investigation of their potential for antibacterial activity.