Pore Parameters Analysis of Echinochloa pyramidalis leaf Dopped Silver Nanoparticles

Abstract

Communication in Physical Sciences, 2024, 11(4): 711-720

Authors: Nyeneime William Akpanudo* and Ojeyemi Matthew Olabemiwo

Received: 02 April 2024/Accepted: 18 August 2024

Nanoparticles are significant products that have attracted a high level of market demand because of their outstanding surface properties. Silver nanoparticles are preferred in numerous industrial applications including water purification because of their thermal stability, particle size, surface area and other pore properties. In this study, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesised using leaf extract of Echinochloa pyramidalis and later doped with the powder leaf sample. The products were analysed for their fundamental properties (i.e surface and pore properties) using nitrogen adsorption methods based on the BET models.  The results, derived from Density Functional Theory (DFT) and differential pore volume (dV(d)) data, reveal that AgNPs exhibit a mesoporous structure with pore diameters ranging from 1.7656 to 2.7691 nm. The cumulative pore volume increases with pore width, reaching 5.52 × 10⁻² cm³/g, while the cumulative surface area grows to 47.1 m²/g, indicating a broad distribution of pore sizes. The differential analysis identifies key pore diameters at 2.3129, 2.4194, 2.5307, and 2.6472 nm as significant contributors to the material's pore volume and surface area. The average pore diameter is calculated to be approximately 4.69 nm. Langmuir and BET models for nitrogen adsorption provide surface area estimates of 522.586 m²/g and 167.780 m²/g, respectively, highlighting the high surface area to volume ratio of the nanoparticles. The findings confirm that the mesoporous nature of AgNPs, with a diverse range of pore sizes contribute to their significant surface area and adsorption capacity.