Bioinspired synthesis of calcium magnesium aluminate nanoparticles using aloe vera extract: A promising material for electrochemical sensors, antibacterial and environmental remediation applications

Abstract

Aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis miller) leaf extract was used in green fuel-assisted microwave synthesis to prepare Calcium Magnesium Aluminate (CMA). The synthesized CMA was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform-infrared (FT-IR), Scanning electron microscope (SEM), Energy dispersion spectrometer (EDAX), and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) analyses. X-ray diffraction confirmed the formation of Ca2Mg2Al28O46. The UV–Vis diffuse reflectance (DRS) technique was employed to investigate its absorbance spectrum, and the band gap of CMA was found to be 4.9 eV. The CMA nanoparticles were used to design a sensing electrode for creatinine, enabling the determination of its concentration in human samples and heavy metals. Acid Orange-88 dye was degraded using CMA nanoparticles as a photocatalyst under UV irradiation. After dye degradation, treated water was used to grow Vigna radiata plants to test their suitability for seedling growth. This report demonstrates that CMA photocatalysts are alternatives to semiconductor photocatalysts for the degradation of Acid Orange-88 dye under UV illumination. Escherichia coli (E. coli), Staphylococcus species, and Pseudomonas species were used as model organisms to assess the antibacterial activity of CMA NPs through a green route.