Functional metal oxides synthesized using natural extracts from waste maize materials

Abstract

We show in this article the possibilities of employing an environmentally friendly, uncomplicated, economical and sustainable green synthesis technique effected by natural extracts from waste maize (zea mays lea) materials to synthesize some functional transition single metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs). Copper oxides (Cu2O and CuO), zinc oxide (ZnO), nickel oxide (NiO), chromium oxide (Cr2O3), iron oxide (Fe2O3) and cadmium oxide (CdO) were successfully synthesized using this facile method. Structural characterizations by X-ray diffraction (XRD) for the various oxides show the phases and space groups corresponding to their individual structures. Images from the high resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM) revealed various shapes and sizes of the obtained nanoparticles. Results from the attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) revealed different kinds of functional groups present in the synthesized metal oxide nanoparticles. We showed that the phytochemicals in the natural extracts obtained from the waste materials from Zea mays lea plant is pivotal to the bio-reduction, stabilization and chelation of the metal oxide nanoparticles.