Eco-friendly synthesis of Ag-NPs using Cerasus serrulata plant extract – Its catalytic, electrochemical reduction of 4-NPh and antibacterial activity

•First report on green synthesis of Ag-NPs using Cerasus serrulata plant leaves extract as reducing agent.•The method is fast, novel, simple, cost-effective, green and avoids toxic reagents.•The obtained Ag-NPs exhibited enhanced catalytic activity in 4-nitrophenol reduction.•Ag-NPs demonstrated efficient antibacterial activity against Streptococcus mutans and Staphylococcus aureus.•Even very low concentration of 4-nitrophenol in water pollutants have been detected through electrochemical methods with ease due to the usage of Ag-NPs.

In the present investigation, we report a facile, reproducible and effortless biological synthesis of silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) utilizing Cerasus serrulata (C. serrulata) leaves extract as reducing as well as stabilizing agent. The size of synthesized Ag-NPs was in the range of 15–24 nm when examined with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction studies. The Ag-NPs obtained using C. serrulata exhibited excellent catalytic activity towards reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4-NPh) to 4-aminophenol in the presence of NaBH4 and demonstrate noteworthy electrochemical performance for 4-NPh reduction. The linear range, detection limit and sensitivity are estimated as 0.09–82.5 μM (r = 0.991), 0.06 μM and 3.0 μA μM−1 cm2 respectively. The Ag-NPs were found to show higher antimicrobial efficiency against Streptococcus mutans and Staphylococcus aureus.

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