Plant‐Mediated Iron Oxide Nanoparticles for Efficient Organic Dye Removal and Antibacterial Action: A Dual‐Function Approach

ABSTRACT The green procedure has emerged as a promising technique for the synthesis of inorganic nanoparticles because of its eco‐friendliness, simplicity, cost‐effectiveness, and low toxicity. Taking into account all these unique characteristics, we have introduced the use of aqueous extract of Ananas Comosus and Murraya koenigii at ambient temperature for the preparation of iron oxide nanoparticles. The active organic alkaloid compounds present in the above‐mentioned leaves act as reducing as well as capping agents during the synthesis procedure. The synthesized biogenic rhombohedral α‐Fe 2 O 3 (Hematite) NPs exhibit remarkable catalytic activity toward the degradation of noxious organic dyes, viz., methylene blue (MB) and methyl orange (MO), and they retain their catalytic activity up to five cycles. MB is degraded within 18 min, while MO becomes colorless within 28 min. The synthesized nanoparticles also exhibit antibacterial activity, which has been checked against E. coli and S. aureus bacterial strains. In a nutshell, this work emphasizes the sustainable approach of using A. Comosus and M. koenigii leaf extracts to synthesize catalytically active iron oxide nanoparticles. Such plant extracts can be used for the preparation of metal and metal oxide nanoparticles for their applications in different important fields, including biological applications.