Environment friendly synthesis of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles using moringa oleifera seed/pulp extract and their application for dye wastewater treatment

Abstract A simple, eco-friendly, green synthesis protocol for producing biocompatible iron oxide nanoparticles using the Moringa oleifera (MO) seed/pulp extracts (MSE/MPE) is reported. The crystallite phase formation of magnetite nanoparticles is confirmed using a powder x-ray diffractometer. The morphology, surface properties, and magnetic properties are investigated using a transmission electron microscope (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). The particles with optimized properties from MSE and MPE synthesis are used for investigating their photocatalytic activity on methylene blue dye. Results of dye degradation show that the particles synthesized using MSE showed 53.46% degradation, whereas MPE showed 37.87% degradation of methylene blue dye under UV light. The photodegradation process follows pseudo-second-order kinetic model indicating that the dye is degraded to its intermediate compounds, which are chemically adsorbed on the particle surface, as confirmed through FTIR. The results show promising potential of synthesizing such nanoparticles for treatment of wastewater using a greener approach.