Eco-conscious photocatalytic degradation of organic textile dyes using green synthesized silver nanoparticles: a safe and green approach toward sustainability

Green synthesized nanoparticles from Strobilanthes barbatus leaf extracts are environmentally safe and feasible for enduring wastewater treatment, especially for organic textile dye degradation. The synthesized Strobilanthes barbatus–mediated silver/silver-oxide nanoparticles (SB-Ag/AgO NPs) showed maximum absorbance at 428 nm. The SB-Ag/AgO NPs were generally spherical with an average diameter of 37.59 nm (FESEM and TEM analysis). The importance of functional groups in the production of SB-Ag/AgO NPs was recorded by FTIR investigations. In the degradation and rate of degradation for textile dyes, after 320 min, SB-Ag/AgO NPs displayed 96.60% (5.31 × 10⁻¹ L mg⁻¹ min⁻¹) and 87.50% (1.179 × 10⁻¹ L mg⁻¹ min⁻¹) degradation of Reactive Blue 220 (RB-220) and Reactive Blue 222A (RB-222A), respectively. When compared to dye effluents, SB-Ag/AgO NPs-treated dye solutions revealed a considerable decrease in inhibitory efficiency during phytotoxicity evaluation on test organisms, Vigna radiata and Artemia salina. The biosynthesized SB-Ag/AgO NPs could serve as a feasible photocatalyst for the treatment of organic textile dyes in organic substance–polluted water ecosystems. SB-Ag/AgO NPs can serve as efficient, cost-effective and environmentally friendly sources for dye degradation. The current research offers a safe and environmentally friendly strategy for sustaining the environment.