Biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles and their role in photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue dye

Nowadays, synthesis of nanoparticles, particularly silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs), has become a research priority due to their wide application in medicine and industry. In this study, Ag-NPs were synthesized utilizing aqueous extract of Prosopis farcta fruit and characterized using ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction analysis, and transmission electron microscopy. The results showed that the obtained nanoparticles were uniform in size (median 30 nm) with spherical shape. The catalytic activity of the synthesized Ag-NPs was studied using methylene blue (MB) in presence of visible light, showing rapid degradation of MB in the first 30 min. The results revealed color degradation of 70.20% within the same time, indicating that the synthesized nanoparticles can quickly degrade artificial colorants and eliminate some environmental contaminants.