Author(s): Geeta Badola and DS Negi

Abstract: In the present study, silver nanoparticles were synthesized using Verbascum thapsus leaves extract as reducing and capping agents. The addition of plant leaves extract to silver nitrate solution results in the colour change of the solution, indicating the formation of silver nanoparticles. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by UV-Visible spectroscopy, XRD, DLS, FTIR and TEM. The XRD analysis showed that the AgNPs are of face centred cubic (FCC) structure. DLS revealed that nanoparticles show polydispersity at 0.363 indexing. TEM analysis showed that the synthesized AgNPs have spherical shape. Green synthesized silver nanoparticles were effectively degrading the dye nearly 95% at 72h of exposure time. The synthesized silver nanoparticles showed significant antibacterial potential against gram positive (Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis) and gram negative bacteria (Salmonella typhi). The photocatalytic activity of the synthesized silver nanoparticles was examined by degradation of methylene blue under sunlight irradiation.