Phyto-Mediated Green Synthesis and Physicochemical Characterization of Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles for Environmental and Pharmacological Applications

The development of environmentally sustainable synthesis strategies has become an important focus in nanoscience and nanotechnology. Among these approaches, the green synthesis of metal oxide nanoparticles using plant extracts has attracted significant attention due to its eco-friendly nature, cost-effectiveness, and avoidance of hazardous chemicals associated with conventional physicochemical methods. In the present study, Titanium Dioxide nanoparticles were synthesized through a green route using Acacia nilotica extract as a reducing and stabilizing agent. The biosynthesized nanoparticles were comprehensively characterized using various spectroscopic and microscopic techniques, including UV–Visible spectroscopy (UV–Vis), Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis. XRD analysis confirmed the crystalline nature of the nanoparticles, while DLS measurements revealed an average particle size of approximately 68.3 nm. FTIR spectra indicated the presence of functional groups associated with phytochemicals responsible for nanoparticle reduction and stabilization. UV–Vis spectroscopy confirmed the optical characteristics of the synthesized nanoparticles with calculated band gap energy of 2.71 eV. SEM micrographs demonstrated a distinctive clover-leaf-like morphology, and EDX analysis verified the elemental composition of titanium and oxygen. The biosynthesized nanoparticles exhibited promising pharmacological activities. The highest Antileishmanial activity reached 68%, anti-inflammatory activity 78%, and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) 79.1%. Furthermore, the nanoparticles showed notable antibacterial activity with a zone of inhibition (ZOI) of 22.1 mm, while a maximum growth inhibition of 85 ± 2.1% was observed against Ascochyta rabiei. In addition to their biomedical potential, the environmental application of the nanoparticles was evaluated for cadmium removal from aqueous solutions, achieving an adsorption efficiency of 85.3% within 120 min. Overall, the green-synthesized titanium dioxide nanoparticles demonstrated significant pharmacological and environmental potential. These findings highlight the promise of plant-mediated nanoparticle synthesis as a sustainable strategy for developing multifunctional nanomaterials with applications in biomedical and environmental remediation fields.