Phytosynthesis via wasted onion peel extract of samarium oxide/silver core/shell nanoparticles for excellent inhibition of microbes.

The aqueous onion peel extract (OPE) was used to synthesize silver nanoparticles (Ag-onion), samarium oxide nanoparticles (SmO-onion), and silver/samarium oxide core/shell nanoparticles (Ag@SmO-onion). The produced nanoparticles were characterized by thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), infrared spectra (FT-IR), absorption spectra (UV-Vis), energy band gap, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), zeta potential, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). OPE and NPs were tested for the disinfection of some water microbes. XRD analysis exhibited an amorphous structure of samarium oxide in both SmO-onion and Ag@ SmO-onion. The isolated bacteria from the water sample were (OQ073500) and (MW534699), while the isolated fungi were (MZ266540), (MT550030), (MW957971), (MW830915), (MW830379), (MZ266538), (MW534712), (MW960416). High levels of antimicrobial activity were seen in both the nanoparticles and the aqueous onion peel extract. Based on experimental results, Ag@SmO demonstrated the highest activity as an effective disinfectant, indicating the effectiveness of the modification process.