Synergistic Mg-Zn Bimetallic Nanoparticles Synthesized via Rutin for Enhanced Antimicrobial and Photocatalytic Degradation of Methyl Orange

Magnesium (Mg), zinc (Zn), and bimetallic Mg-Zn nanoparticles were successfully synthesized by a green co-precipitation method using rutin as a reducing and stabilizing agent. UV−Vis spectroscopy confirmed that nanoparticles were produced with specific absorption peaks at 215 nm (Mg), 202 nm (Zn), and at 208 and 220 nm for the Mg-Zn system, indicating electronic coupling and bimetallic interaction. FTIR spectroscopy revealed important functional groups in rutin and vibrations of metal-oxygen functional groups, confirming surface modification and metal-ligand interactions. SEM imaging showed clear morphological distinctions of the nanoparticles, including flake-like structures for Mg, agglomerated globules for Zn, and Mg-Zn shaped like mixed cubic-hexagonal crystals, indicating an alloy has formed. XRD patterns of the materials showed sharp peaks corresponding to the hexagonal phases of Mg and Zn. The Mg-Zn nanoparticles showed peak shifts and broadened widths, reconfirming both the crystallinity and bimetallic behavior of the alloy and validating the significance of the findings. EDX spectra showed elemental purity of Mg and Zn for the nanoparticles, with Mg-Zn confirming both elemental purity and bimetallic composition. DLS results confirmed that Mg-Zn nanoparticles had better dispersion (Z-average: 110.8 nm; PDI: 0.251) than either of the monometallic nanoparticles. The Mg-Zn nanomaterials also showed notable photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange; however, in this study, the Mg-Zn nanomaterial achieved just under 70% degradation after 180 min of irradiation.