Journal of
A publication of
Nanoj Nanotechnology CINCADER
Vol. 6, N° 1, 2024 Centre of Research and Training for
Regional Development
Copyright © 2024, CINCADER. Online at www.journals.cincader.org
ISSN 2522-6908
DOI: https://doi.org/10.32829/nanoj.v6i1.212
Green Synthesis of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles using extract
of onion (Allium cepa) peel
Mariella C. Caillahua*a , Saida Cuadros Oriab
a
Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina, Av. La Molina s/n, La molina, Lima.
b
Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Av. Germán Amézaga 375, 15801, Lima.
*
[email protected] Received: 02 June 2024; Accepted: 28 June 2024; Published: 10 July 2024
Resumen
En el presente estudio, se sintetizaron nanopartículas de óxido de zinc mediante síntesis verde
utilizando extracto de cáscara de cebolla (Allium cepa). El extracto se preparó calentando a 80
°C con agitación constante durante 30 minutos. Se sintetizaron muestras de nanopartículas de
ZnO utilizando nitrato de zinc como precursor a temperaturas entre 70 y 80 °C hasta la
formación de un coloide que fue calcinado a 200 °C por un período de 3 horas. Las
nanopartículas de ZnO sintetizadas en verde se caracterizaron por difracción de rayos X
utilizando el software Profex 4.3.4. Los resultados mostraron la formación de nanopartículas
cristalinas de ZnO y partículas que oscilaban entre 21,4 y 38,1 nm. El alto grado de
aglomeración muestra partículas en el rango micrométrico, pero el tamaño individual de las
partículas se encuentra en la escala nanométrica.
Palabras clave: ZnO; Síntesis verde; Nanoestructuras
Abstract
In the present study, zinc oxide nanoparticles were synthesized by green synthesis using
extract of onion (Allium cepa) peel. The extract was prepared by heating at 80 C with constant
stirring for 30 minutes. Samples of ZnO nanoparticles were synthesized using zinc nitrate as a
precursor at temperatures between 70 and 80 °C until the formation of a colloid that was
calcined at 200 °C for a period of 3 hours. The green synthesized ZnO nanoparticles were
characterized by X-ray diffraction using Profex 4.3.4 software. The results showed formation of
crystalline ZnO nanoparticles and the particles ranging between 21.4 and 38.1 nm. The high
degree of agglomeration shows particles in the micrometer range, however, the individual size
of the particles is in the nanometer-scale.
Keywords: ZnO; Green synthesis; Nanostructures
1. Introduction
The synthesis of nanomaterials using plants is an economic and ecological alternative. The
biomolecules required for the reduction and stabilization of metal ions are already present in the
plant extract. Akash et al. (2021) shows that green synthesis of nanoparticles (NPs) is a new
research trend in nanotechnology. Furthermore, the green synthesized NPs are highly
competent for recycling and removing heavy metals from wastewater and could solve various
water quality problems around the world. Nanosorbent materials are considered the most
efficient wastewater remediation methodology because it is easy to apply and there is a wide
Please cite this article as: Caillahua M., Cuadros S., Green Synthesis of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles using 1
extract of onion (Allium cepa) peel, Journal of Nanotechnology, vol. 6, no 1, 2024, pp. 1-6.
https://doi.org/10.32829/nanoj.v6i1.212
Journal of
A publication of
Nanoj Nanotechnology CINCADER
Vol. 6, N° 1, 2024 Centre of Research and Training for
Regional Development
Copyright © 2024, CINCADER. Online at www.journals.cincader.org
ISSN 2522-6908
DOI: https://doi.org/10.32829/nanoj.v6i1.212
range of adsorbents (Basheer, 2018). EI-Sayed, M. E. (2020) reports that nanosorbents made
from carbon tubes, polymers, zeolites, metals, and metal oxides have had an unprecedented
influence on the wastewater treatment process. Likewise, nanomaterials are presented as the
best feasible way to treat organic and inorganic contaminants due to their unique properties,
such as a large surface area and a high adsorption capacity (Jiang et al., 2018).
Numerous studies have investigated the interaction of inorganic contaminants with nanosorbent
materials. For example, Uddin and Baig (2019) used cobalt oxide nanoparticles to remove
methyl orange dye; Dehghani et al. (2019) studied the removal of the pesticide diazinon from
water using carbon nanotubes; Khan et al. (2016) illustrated the effect of using Fe\\Cu binary
oxides on the removal of hexavalent chromium from water; similarly, Cai et al. (2014)
synthesized bimetallic Fe/Ni NPs embedded in kaolinite (K-Fe/Ni) for the simultaneous removal
of Cu(II) and NO3 with a removal efficiency of 99.7% and 40.4%, respectively. On the other
hand, Alaa El Din Mahmoud et al. (2021) prepared environmentally friendly copper oxide
nanoparticles (CuO NPs) by a green synthesis route without using hazardous chemicals and
using extracts of mint leaves and orange peels as reductants for the removal of Pb(II), Ni(II),
and Cd(II) obtaining a removal efficiency of 75% to 90%.
More environmentally friendly processes have been developed in recent years, researchers
have recently focused on the so-called "green synthesis", in which compounds of microbial,
animal and plant origin can be used both as economical forms of reduction of waste or as
stabilizing agents in the manufacture of nanomaterials. Techniques for obtaining nanoparticles
by green synthesis have been oriented towards the use of naturally occurring reagents such as
vitamins, sugars, proteins, biodegradable polymers, microorganisms and plant extracts as
reducing and stabilizing agents. Sugars such as glucose and fructose, water-soluble vitamins
such as C and B12, contain radicals such as hydroxyls or aminos in their chemical structure that
give them the characteristic of natural antioxidant agents that can effectively reduce metal ions
in an aqueous solution to produce metallic nanoparticles and of metal oxides (Kharissova et al.,
2013).
In recent years, green nanotechnology has achieved great interest; syntheses of functional
nanoparticles from iron, zinc, copper and gold have been developed without the use of
dangerous toxic products. Renuga et al. (2020) synthesized copper oxide nanoparticles using
Brassica oleracea var. Italic (broccoli), the biological components contained in the plant, such
as gluconosinolates, polyphenols, flavonoids, vitamins and nutrients acted as reducing agents.
With copper acetate as precursor and at a reaction temperature of 80°C, copper oxide
nanoparticles with an average size of 26 nm were obtained, which were show to have excellent
antifungal activity against Aspergillus niger and Candida Albicans. Similarly, Akash et al. (2021)
studied copper nanoparticles (Cu NPs) synthesized in the green route and used as
nanoadsorbent for the removal of Ibuprofen, Naproxen and Diclofenac from wastewater. The
best removal results were obtained at the temperature 298 K, pH 4.5, 60 min and the adsorption
process was endothermic. Rajeshkumar and Rinhita (2018) synthesized copper NPs using the
extract of the seed of Persea Americana (Avocado) as a reducer for copper sulfate, obtaining
smaller NPs at a pH of 11, between the range of 42 to 90 nm. . The obtained NPs showed
oxidant activity and excellent antimicrobial activity against plant disease pathogens Aspergillus
niger, Aspergillus fumigatus, Fusarium oxysporum. Madhumitha et al. (2019) characterized and
evaluated the antifungal and photocatalytic activity of ZnO nanoparticles synthesized from
Pithecellobium dulce shell, obtaining irregularly shaped and highly monodisperse nanoparticles
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with excellent photodegradation efficiency with respect to methylene blue dye, an important
contaminant. of water released by the textile industry. Nwanya et al.(2019) successfully used
the aqueous extract of dried peel of Zea mays L. (corn) to obtain biosynthesized copper oxide
nanoparticles and confirmed the effectiveness of copper oxide nanoparticles in the
photodegradation of synthetic wastewater based on methylene blue dye and wastewater from
industrial textile effluents. Madrigal Muñoz (2021) synthesized ZnO semiconductor
nanoparticles from Tilia L. (tilo)extract for application in the treatment of water with organic
contaminants, verifying the photocatalytic capacity of zinc oxide nanoparticles with methylene
blue with a degradation of up to 100% in 100 min in a UV light reactor. Villegas Fuentes (2021)
carried out the biosynthesis from Arnica Montana L. as a stabilizing agent of zinc oxide
semiconductor nanoparticles for the photocatalytic degradation of dyes in wastewater, using
methylene blue, obtaining a degradation of 92% in a period of 210 minutes under UV light.
Kumar et al. (2022) carried out a review on bioactive compounds and biomedical activities of
onion peels (Allium cepa L.), as concentrated sources of phytochemicals, total flavonoids, total
polyphenols, quercetin and its derivatives make their application feasible in the biomedical and
pharmaceutical fields.
Alshameri & Owais (2022) carried out a review about the antibacterial and cytotoxic potency of
plants through the synthesis of Ag and ZnO metal nanoparticles, the results showed that both
nanoparticles synthesized using plant extracts have excellent antibacterial and anticancer
properties due to their biocompatibility and concluded that plant extracts used to manufacture
metal nanoparticles and metal oxide nanoparticles are economical, environmentally friendly and
provide maximum protection of human health. Synthesis based on plant extracts allows for
more exact control of the shape of the nanoparticles, making these nanoparticles more suitable
for medical purposes than those produced with toxic chemicals.
The objective of the present study is to synthesize nanoparticles and/or nanostructures of zinc
oxides from a green route and using an organic reducer and show that the phytochemicals
found in plant extracts are crucial and play an important role in the reduction of metal ions and
their stabilization as nanoparticles.
2. Materials and Methods
The reagent used as precursor was zinc nitrate (Zn(NO 3)2.6H2O) from the Movilab brand. The
onion was collected in the markets of Lima and the peel residues were used. For the
characterization, the Bruker model D8 Advance difratometer was used.
To prepare the extract, 20 g of onion peel, previously washed and dried at 50°C in an oven for 2
hours, were used. The dried shells were added to a beaker with 100 mL of distilled water and
heated for 30 minutes at a temperature of 80°C. Once the solution was cold, it was filtered
through Whatman No. 4 paper and the filtrate was stored at 4°C for later use.
Zinc oxide nanoparticles were synthesized by adding 2 g of the precursor zinc nitrate to 50 mL
of onion extract. The solution was stirred using a magnetic stirrer at temperatures between 70°C
and 80 °C for a couple of hours. The appearance of a brown colloid demonstrates the formation
of zinc oxide nanoparticles. Finally, the precipitate is dried in a muffle at 400°C for three hours
obtaining a white ZnO powder (Figure 1).
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3. Results
In Figure 1 shows the powder obtained from the ZnO nanoparticles after calcination. Studies
have highlighted the presence of phenolics, flavonoids, anthocyanins, vanillic acid and ferulic
acid in onion, they have also indicated that onion peel is a more concentrated source of
phytochemicals than edible pulp, being Quercetin, the main phenolic compound in onion peel
(Kumar et al., 2022). The flavonoids present reduce metal ions to produce stable metal
nanoparticles (Ettadili et al., 2022). The ability of flavonoids to chelate metal ions is known
because of the presence of hydroxyl and carbonyl functional groups (Alshameri & Owais, 2022).
Fig. 1. Image of the ZnO nanoparticles obtained from the green synthesis.
For the analysis of the diffractogram obtained by XRD, the free Profex 4.3.4 software was used.
The Figure 2 displays the diffractogram obtained for the sample synthesized from onion peel.
The adjustment with the software shows a qualitative analysis of 100% zinc oxide. No additional
diffraction peaks corresponding to impurities were detected, indicating that relatively pure ZnO
was obtained. Stan et al. (2015) synthesized from onion and garlic peel extracts (Allium
sativum, Allium cepa) ZnO nanoparticles with a hexagonal wurtzite structure without additional
diffraction peaks and showed with FTIR spectra the biomolecules present in the plant extracts
and their influence on the properties of ZnO nanoparticles.
Fig. 2. XRD diffractogram of the ZnO nanoparticles obtained from the green synthesis.
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Likewise, the Figure 3 shows the parameters of the particle refinement where an average
crystallite size between 18.5 nm and 31.8 nm can be observed.
Fig. 3. Refined parameters for average crystallite size..
4. Conclusions
The present study shows an easy and environmentally friendly procedure for obtaining zinc
oxide nanoparticles using onion peel extract free of toxic compounds and rich in
phytochemicals, which, through the action of a reducing agent, allow the reduction of metal
ions. The XRD results confirm the purity of the ZnO nanoparticles obtained and refinement with
the Profex 4.3.4 software determines an average crystallite size between 18.5 nm and 31.8 nm.
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