Aqueous Extract of Acanthophyllum Laxiusculum Roots as a Renewable Resource for Green Synthesis of Nano-sized Titanium Dioxide Using the Sol - gel method

In this study, green or eco-friendly synthesis of TiO_2 nanoparticles (NPs) was performed by using the aqueous extract of Acanthophyllum laxiusculum. The plant genus Acanthophyllum is among the richest sources of saponins. Saponins are glycoside compounds and they are classified as the nonionic surfactants. Sol-gel method as one of the most common techniques widely used in the nano - field was applied to synthesize the titanium dioxide nanoparticles. TiO_2 nanoparticles were characterized by Xray diffraction (XRD), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Energy Dispersive Analysis of X-rays (EDAX). Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) was performed to confirm the lack of the surfactant templates in synthesized NPs. The optical band gap of synthesized TiO_2nanospheres was determined using UV–Vis absorption spectra and further verified by diffuse reflectance spectroscopy analysis.The specific surface area and pore size distribution of this product were evaluated by employing the Brunauer– Emmett–Teller (BET) technique and the Barrett–Joyner–Halenda (BJH) model.