Novel Green TiO₂ Nanoparticles from Corchorus olitorius leaf extract for Solar and UV Photocatalytic Degradation of Methylene blue and Tetracycline

Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO ₂ NPs) were synthesized via environmentally friendly approach using Corchorus olitorius (also known as Molokhia) leaf extract. This represents the first enquiry into Corchorus olitorius plant for the green synthesis of TiO ₂ . Several tests were used to characterize the prepared nanoparticles. XRD revealed the formation of anatase phase with a tetragonal structure and average crystallite sizes of 7.45 nm and 9.03 nm, calculated using Scherer equation and Williamson-Hall method, respectively. FTIR analysis confirming the presence of phytochemicals in Corchorus olitorius leaf extract as well as the formation of TiO ₂ NPs. FESEM analysis revealed a microporous structure consisting of a regular distribution of spherical nanoparticles with an average particle size of 20 nm. Purity of TiO ₂ NPs was confirmed by the presence of only titanium and oxygen elements, through EDX analysis. Defect related states was investigated by PL test. UV-Vis spectroscopy showed a broad absorption peak in the UV region with energy gap of 3.26 eV. TiO ₂ NPs exhibited a high negative zeta potential of -31.8 mV, confirming their high stability in colloidal solution. The photocatalytic activity of TiO ₂ NPs was investigated against Methylene blue (MB)dye and Tetracycline (TC) antibiotic. Greenly synthesized TiO ₂ NPs exhibited highly photocatalytic activity with degradation efficiency of 97.5 %for MB and 56% for TC under sunlight which was not reported yet to the best of our knowledge. These results open up new horizons in the field of preparing nanomaterials and employing them to solve environmental problems in inexpensive and environmentally friendly ways.