Functional metal oxides synthesized using natural extracts from waste maize materials
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Date
2021Author
Nwanya, Assumpta Chinwe
Botha, Subelia
Ezema, Fabian I.
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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.