Green Synthesis of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Using Hibiscus moscheutos Extract and Evaluation of its Antioxidant Activity

Abstract

Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) have garnered considerable attention due to their favourable properties and widespread applications in biomedical, industrial, cell imaging, and biosensor fields. This study presents the green synthesis of stable ZnO-NPs using a 0.1M concentration of zinc nitrate solution and Hibiscus moscheutos leaves extract as an efficient stabilizing agent. The antioxidant activity of the synthesized ZnO-NPs was evaluated using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl hydroxyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging assay. The characterization of the ZnO-NPs involved various spectroscopic and microscopic techniques. The UV–vis spectroscopy results revealed an absorption peak around 369 nm. The involvement of bioactive compounds from Hibiscus moscheutos in stabilizing the ZnO-NPs was confirmed through X-ray diffraction, and Fourier transforms infrared analysis. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) analysis confirmed the spherical morphology and the presence of primarily Zn, C, and O. The biosynthesized ZnO-NPs exhibited robust antioxidant activity with an IC50 of 32.2 µg/mL. This eco-friendly and simple green route, utilizing Hibiscus moscheutos extract, proved effective in synthesizing ZnO-NPs with potent antioxidant potential.