In this study, we employed a greener, eco-friendly method for synthesizing Ag@TiO2 nanomaterials via the hydrothermal method using the plant Achyranthes aspera leaf extract. Different analytical techniques were employed for characterization, including UV-Vis, FTIR, XRD, SEM-EDX, and TEM-SAED analysis. From the UV-Vis spectrum, it was observed that an absorption peak occurs at 350 nm, corresponding to a band gap of 3.54 eV. FTIR analysis attributed several functional groups or vibrational modes, such as 659 cm− 1 (Ag-Ti), 410 cm−1 (Ti-O-Ti), and 2347 cm−1 (C ≡ C or C ≡ N). SEM-EDX revealed an irregularly shaped morphology, constituting the only elements silver ( \(\:Ag\) ), titanium ( \(\:Ti\) ), and oxygen ( \(\:O\) ). An average crystallite size of 8.11 nm was determined using XRD analysis, and TEM-SAED revealed a quasi-spherical morphology and polycrystalline nature. The photocatalytic activity of the synthesized Ag@TiO2 nanomaterial was assessed by the degradation of methylene blue (MB) dye under UV-visible light irradiation. The degradation rate of MB in the nanomaterial is 89.96% at 60 min, exhibiting excellent photocatalytic efficiency. The velocity constant is 3.583 × 10− 2 min− 1, and the half-life (t1/2) is 19.34 min. This is enhanced by the synergistic interaction between Ag and TiO2, which improves separation efficiency and suppresses the recombination of electron-hole pairs. The environmentally friendly synthesis method developed using the leaf extract of Achyranthes aspera is advantageous due to its economic benefits, low ecological impact, and potential for mass production. Thus, the present work demonstrates significant potential in utilizing biogenic synthesis to develop effective and environmentally friendly photocatalytic agents for environmental remediation.
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