The Utilization of Pentaclethra Macrophylla Dyes: A Promising Approach to Environmental Conservation Through Extraction, Characterization and Application in Textile

The study reviews the potentiality of eco-friendly dyes from the stem bark of Pentaclethra macrophylla as a natural dye source. The objective was to extract, characterise and apply the natural dyes on nylon 6,6 fabric. The extraction process involved Soxhlet extraction techniques, followed by filtration and concentration of the dye extracts using rotary evaporation. The dye components extracted and isolated from the plant material were characterized by thin-layer chromatography (TLC), column chromatography, FTIR, ¹HNMR, and ¹³CNMR techniques. The crude extract was applied to the dyeing of the fabric using pre-mordanting and post-mordanting techniques and ordinated with ferric chloride and copper sulphate. Of the two solvents used, ethanol was the best solvent for the extraction, with a maximum absorbance value of 1.7 at a temperature of 60 °C. The FTIR study suggested the absorption band frequencies 3283 cm⁻¹ are assigned to OH, 2981 cm⁻¹ to C-H, 1638 to C=C, and 1086-1043 cm⁻¹ to the C-O functional group in the dye structure. The proton and carbon-13 NMR in the dye extract suggested the presence of 1.20 (RCH₃), 3.12 (CH₃), 46.7 (CH₃), 46.9 (CH₃), 47.1 (CH₃), 47.8 (CH₃), 47.9 (CH₃), 108.6 (R₂C=CR₂), and 144.5 (Ar carbon). The light fastness and wash fastness properties of the dyed fabrics were evaluated; the results indicate moderate to good fastness grades in the range (4-5) for light fastness and good grade (4) for wash fastness. The study concluded that natural dyes from Pentaclethra macrophylla stem bark provide a promising opportunity for sustainable textile production.