Abstract:
Zero valent iron particles (ZVIPs) have received extensive attention due to
their remarkable activity and effectiveness in groundwater treatment and site
remediation. Green synthesis of metal materials using plant extracts is
recognized as potential remediation to treat contaminated water in the
environment due to the availability of polyphenols and reducing sugars. Here
we opted for a novel, simple and cost-effective green synthesis of ZVIPs by
the reduction of Fe2+ into Fe0 using bioactive substances obtained from the
leaf extract of Coffea Arabica. ZVIPs were synthesized by adding the green
extracts to 0.01 M FeSO4 with a volume ratio of 2:1 at room temperature and
constantly stirring for 1 hr. ZVIPs were characterized by Fourier transform
infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM).
According to the SEM analysis, the ZVIPs are spherical shaped, and the mean
particle size was found to be between 50 - 200 nm. The FT-IR spectrum
confirms the formation of the ZVIPs which were later oxidized into iron oxide
due to the exposure to air and water. The absorption peaks at 550.10 cm-1 and
500.83 cm-1 correspond to Fe-O-Fe and Fe-O stretching vibrations,
respectively. Also, other peaks indicate the attachment of compounds such as
polyphenols of the green extract onto the iron particles which act as capping
and dispersive agents. The presence of organic molecules on ZVIPs facilitate
no toxicity and less effects on the aquatic organism’s growth, photosynthesis,
reproduction, suggesting a lower risk in utilizing these functional iron particles
for environmental applications.
