Eco-friendly biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles using aqueous solution of Spartium junceum flower extract

Green synthesis of nanoparticles has received great attention from scientists due to their undeniable applications in all field of science. In this study, an eco-friendly and fast approach is reported for the preparation of silver nanoparticle (Ag NPs) using Spartium junceum flower extract, as a reductant and stabilizer agent, from aqueous solution of silver nitrate. The biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles was optimized by investigating the reaction parameters including:  pH, temperature, concentration of plant extract and interaction time. The silver nanoparticles were characterized by UV-vis, fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), dynamic light scattering (DLS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analyses. Also, the biosynthesis of Ag NPs was confirmed by UV-vis spectroscopy through the presence of a characteristic surface plasmon resonance (SPR) band for Ag NPs at lmax=420 nm. The synthesized nanoparticles were crystalline in nature, nearly spherical in shape with 15-25 nm range of sizes.