Green synthesis of iron-based nanoparticles from extracts of Nephrolepis auriculata and applications for Cr(VI) removal

Abstract The use of plant extracts as reducing agents may be preferable to use of chemical reduction reagent (i.e. sodium borohydride) to synthesis of iron-based nanoparticles for using in wastewater treatment. This report describes the successful synthesis of iron-based nanoparticles (NA-Fe-NPs) using extracts of Nephrolepis auriculata. TEM and XRD indicated that the core of NA-Fe-NPs were amorphous and spherical with size ranging from 40 to 70 nm. Meanwhile, FT-IR revealed that the flavonoids, polyphenols, organic acids in extracts were responsible for reducing Fe3+ and coating/stabilizing the iron-nanoparticles. The removal of Cr(VI) wastewater using NA-Fe-NPs suggested that 90.93% of Cr(VI) were removed, demonstrated the feasibility of the materials for environmental remediation.