Comparative Structural, Optical, Morphological and Elemental Characterisation of Jujube-Mediated Silver and Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles

Abstract

Plant extracts offer a practical route for nanoparticle synthesis because naturally occurring compounds can participate in particle formation and remain associated with the resulting material. In this study, jujube extract was used to prepare silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs). Both products were examined using the same set of characterization techniques: X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), ultraviolet-visible (UV–Vis) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). The XRD results clearly differentiated the two materials. The Ag sample showed peaks at approximately 38.27°, 44.45°, 64.55°, and 77.57°, characteristic of face-centered-cubic Ag, while the ZnO sample displayed reflections at 31.91°, 34.55°, 36.38°, 47.60°, 56.78°, and 63.02°, consistent with hexagonal wurtzite ZnO. FTIR spectra from both samples contained bands associated with plant-derived functional groups, along with low-wavenumber features related to their respective inorganic phases. Their optical responses were also distinct. Ag showed the characteristic response of metallic nanoparticles, whereas ZnO exhibited an optical edge at about 392.5 nm, corresponding to approximately 3.16 eV. This value was calculated from the optical-edge wavelength and is not presented as a formal Tauc band gap. SEM images showed rough, uneven, and strongly aggregated surfaces in both samples. EDX further showed strong Ag signals in the silver sample and Zn and O as the main detected elements in the ZnO sample. Overall, the study compares two different nanomaterials produced using the same jujube-based approach and shows how their structural, optical, morphological, and elemental characteristics differ.