Green Synthesis and Characterization of Silica Nanoparticles from Sugarcane (Saccharum Officinarum) Bagasse Sourced from Makarfi Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Nigeria

The pursuit of sustainable nanomaterials has driven the exploration of biomass-derived silica nanoparticles (SiNPs) as a green alternative to conventional synthesis methods. The objective of this paper was to evaluate the green synthesis and characterization of silica nanoparticles from sugarcane (Saccharum Officinarum) bagasse sourced from Makarfi local government area of Kaduna state, Nigeria using citric acid and Aminodeoxysorbitol. X-ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy (XRF) demonstrated a progressive increase in silica purity from 13.83% in raw bagasse to 69.92% in the final synthesized nanoparticles, confirming the effectiveness of the reagent used and thermal treatment. X-ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed a crystalline silica with 2θ angle at 28.45° and FWHM of 0.34°. The crystallite size estimated by the Dybe-Scherrer equation based on the aforementioned peak for the extracted Nano-silica had an average diameter of 24.10 nm. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) analysis presents agglomerates of irregular sizes and highly porous aggregated nanoparticle structures. Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) exhibited multi-stage weight loss, with stability achieved beyond 600°C, indicating the thermal resilience of the synthesized SiNPs. Additionally, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area analysis demonstrated a high specific surface area of 284.2 m²/g, BJH cumulative adsorption pore volume is recorded at 1.733 × 10⁻¹ cm³/g and the BJH adsorption pore diameter (Mode Dv(d)) is 2.132 nm, reinforcing the nanosilica's potential for enhanced reactivity. These findings highlight the successful transformation of agricultural waste into high-purity silica nanoparticles, reinforcing the role of green synthesis in sustainable nanotechnology.