Plant-mediated synthesis of highly active iron nanoparticles for Cr (VI) removal: Investigation of the leading biomolecules

The eco-friendly synthesis and application of Fe nanoparticles (Fe NPs) with higher activity and stability has aroused wide attention in the field of pollutant remediation. In this work, 15 plants extracts were selected for the plant-mediated synthesis of Fe NPs. The as-synthesized particles' morphology and structure were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and UV-Vis spectroscopy. The contents of four main active biomolecules in the 15 extracts were determined, and comparative studies were further carried out to clarify the key component closely related to the reducing capacity. The results demonstrate that polyphenol is the leading ingredient involved in the biosynthesis of Fe NPs. Then Fe products synthesized by three extracts with distinct content of polyphenol were employed to remove Cr (VI) in the aqueous solution, indicating that the activity of the Fe NPs for Cr (VI) removal is consistent with the reducing capacity of the extracts. Furthermore, the Fe NPs synthesized by S. jambos（L.） Alston extract (SJA-Fe NPs) showed significant removal capacity of Cr(VI) with 698.6 mg Cr(VI) per g of iron.