Aesculus hippocastanum extract-mediated biosynthesis of silver-decorated zinc oxide nanoparticles and investigation of their photocatalytic, antibacterial, and antioxidant properties.

In this research, silver-decorated zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-Ag NPs) were fabricated using Aesculus hippocastanum fruit extract (ZnO-Ag@AHFE NPs), and their catalytic and antimicrobial properties were studied. The nanoparticles were identified using XRD, TEM, and FT-IR analyses, which confirmed their spherical morphology, uniform structure, and particle sizes ranging from 50 to 70 nm. The ZnO-Ag@AHFE NPs illustrated high antibacterial performance compared to the extract and ZnO NPs alone, achieving a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 125 µg/mL against Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Additionally, the ZnO-Ag@AHFE NPs exhibited outstanding photocatalytic efficiency, degrading methylene blue and rhodamine B dyes by 97.6% and 94.3%, respectively, surpassing the performance of other catalysts. Antioxidant assays revealed that the nanoparticles inhibited 85% of DPPH free radicals, underscoring their potential in biological applications. This study presents a green method using A. hippocastanum fruit extract, offering an innovative approach to enhance the antibacterial, catalytic, and antioxidant properties of ZnO-Ag NPs. These findings highlight the transformative potential of green synthesis strategies for the development of multifunctional nanomaterials.