ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Leveraging bamboo leaf waste as a potential source of mesoporous silica prerequisite to facilitate the synthesis of silica nanoparticles

Aashikha Shani Russel Santhi and Ambrose Rejo Jeice

Department of Physics & Research Centre, Annai Velankanni College, Tholayavattam, Kanyakumari District, India

E-mail: rejojeice@gmail.com

Received: 6 November 2024  Accepted: 1 June 2025

Abstract:

The present investigation leverages the precipitation technique for the production of nanosilica alongside the intention of using bamboo leaf ash (BLA), an agricultural waste, in an all-encompassing manner. An assessment of the ash temperature’s detrimental effect on the synthesis process was performed. An extensive spectrum has been revealed by X-ray diffraction at 22 for Silica, implying their amorphous traits. The substantial Si and O peaks for amorphous Silica were validated by the FTIR and EDX spectra, demonstrating their purity over crystalline SiNPs. The SiNPs’ spherical form was revealed by SEM and TEM micrographs, with average sizes of 25–30 nm for amorphous SiNPs. Amorphous silica obtained from bamboo leaves demonstrates a superior surface area (456 m²/g) relative to crystalline silica synthesized from a chemical surfactant which will be around 100–300 m²/g and the findings confirm that the mesoporous silica is synthesized. The acquired results confirm that the amorphous SiNPs synthesized from agricultural wastes were superior to the commercially available crystalline SiNPs in terms of characteristics, negating the requirement for high temperature. SiNPs were employed for photocatalytic methylene blue degradation, 88% of the dye was broken down in the 150 min. The ecologically friendly and economical method affords a viable way to satisfy the growing demand for SiNPs in industries.

Keywords: Bamboo leaves; Silica nanoparticles; Photocatalytic application; Methylene blue; Precipitation method

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.1007/s11696-025-04164-8

Chemical Papers 79 (9) 5941–5955 (2025)