Green synthesis of Cr2O3 nanoparticles using microbes

Abstract

Amid metal oxides, chromic oxide nanoparticles are more perceptible due to hardness, antiferromagnetic property, stability, chemical resistance, anticancer propery, antibacterial activity, antileshmanial activity. Bacterial strains like Erwinia amylovora [1], Shewanell oneidensis MR-1 [2], Aspargillus niger [3], Bacillus subtilis [4] and Bacillus cereus [5] were used for the synthesis of Cr₂O₃ NPs from the chromium salt precursors. Bacterial strains were used as both reducing agent and capping agent. The obtained nanoparticles were characterized by UV–vis, XRD, SEM, TEM, EDS and TGA. UV–vis spectrophotometric analysis of the Cr₂O₃ NPs confirmed the formation of NPs, which showed the surface plasmon resonance SPR in the range of 250–450 nm. X-ray diffraction revealed crystallite sizes of Cr₂O₃ NPs which was calculated using Scherrer’s equation. It was reported that the size of the Cr₂O₃ NPs is in the range of 4 -78 nm. The green synthesized Cr₂O₃ NPs were in hexagonal, circular and spherical in shape. Antibacterial and cytotoxicity were studied for Cr₂O₃ NPs which exhibited superior antibacterial activity and cytotoxicity.