Eco-benign approach to synthesize spherical iron oxide nanoparticles: A new insight in photocatalytic and biomedical applications.

Iron oxide nanoparticles (FeONPs) are an interested and attractive area of research as they have numerous effective environmental and biomedical applications. Herein we have reported a simple and eco-benign synthesis FeONPs using Tamarix aphylla extract. The extract of the Tamarix aphylla acts both as a reducing and capping agent which leads to the fast and successful eco-benign synthesis of FeONPs.UV/Vis spectroscopy, XRD, EDX, SEM and TEM techniques were used to characterize and explore different features of FeONPs. UV/Vis studies showed asharppeak at 390 nm due to surface plasmon resonance absorption of FeONPs. XRD studies indicated that FeONPs were crystalline in nature. Structural features, elemental composition and geometry of FeONPswere confirmed by SEM, EDX and TEM. The as synthesized FeONPs showed efficient efficacy to degrade 100% of Methylene blue (MB) dye by 4 mg/25 ml MB and revealed 90% scavenging of the more stable DPPH free radical(1 mg/ml). Furthermore, FeONPs showed excellent antimicrobial activity against pathogenic multidrug resistant bacterial strains. The results of the present study explored the potential reducing, capping property of Tamarix aphylla extract, photocatalytic and biomedical applications of eco-benignly synthesized FeONPs which could be an alternative material for effective remediation of lethal organic pollutants and microbes.