Green synthesis of ruthenium oxide nanoparticles mediated extract of Ephedra gerandiana for their photocatalytic and biological activities

Researchers are increasingly focusing on the green synthesis of metal oxide nanoparticles for sustainable applications. However, Ruthenium oxide nanoparticles (RuO-NPs) have received limited attention. In this study, RuO-NPs were synthesized using an aqueous extract of Ephedra gerandiana as a stabilizing agent. The nanoparticles were characterized using FT-IR, UV–vis, SEM, EDX, and XRD, which confirmed their crystalline structure with sizes ranging from 25 to 45 nm. FT-IR analysis verified RuO-NP formation, with O-H and Ru-O bonds detected at 3629 cm⁻¹ and 3407 cm⁻¹ , respectively. The synthesized RuO-NPs demonstrated strong antibacterial and antifungal activity against Streptococcus pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli , and Aspergillus niger . The inhibition zone for Aspergillus niger ranged from 13.5 to 16.5 mm. Antioxidant activity was observed at different concentrations (41.23–89.92 %), increasing with RuO-NP concentration. Additionally, RuO-NPs exhibited high photocatalytic efficiency, degrading Congo red, methyl orange, methylene blue, and malachite green dyes, achieving 96–98 % removal within 120 min. These findings highlight the potential of Ephedra gerandiana -mediated RuO-NPs in biomedical and environmental applications, paving the way for further advancements in green nanotechnology.