Preparation of silica nanoparticles facilitated by Saccharum munja plant

Abstract

The sol–gel method is used for the synthesis of silica nano particles from Saccharum munja plant. Dried Saccharum munja plant was heated at 600 °C for 4 h to convert into Saccharum munja ash (SMA). By solution of sodium hydroxide, silica was extracted from the ash of Saccharum munja along with the sodium silicate. Silica was precipitated by H₂SO₄ at pH 4, sodium dodecyl sulfate and cetyl-tri-methyl-ammonium bromide were used as a surfactants and water/butanol were taken in same ratio. Different parameters like aging temperature, time, surface coverage and the effect of surfactant are tested to identify the favorable conditions for producing the homogeneous mixture of silica nanoparticles. X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy data reveal that silica nanoparticles are amorphous and have size in the range of 30–50 nm. The results obtained by this method show the economic importance of the Saccharum munja.

Keywords:

• Silica
• nanoparticles
• Saccharum munja
• sol–gel method

Acknowledgment

The authors are highly acknowledged to Centralized Resources Laboratory (CRL) and University of Science and Technology Bannu for providing the require characterization facilities. The authors are also thankful to Higher Education Commision (HEC) of Pakistan for provoding the financial assistant, project # 10669/KPK/ NRPU/R&D/HEC/ 2017.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.