TITLE:
Biosynthesis of Silver Nanoparticles Using Pomegranate Peel Extract for Removal of Metal Ions
AUTHORS:
Hussein M. Ahmed, Mohamed Nazih Abdallah, Lames A. Mohamed, Mohamed A. El-Khateeb
KEYWORDS:
Green Biosynthesis, Silver Nanoparticles, Pomegranate Peel, Metal Ions
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Nanoparticles,
Vol.15 No.3,
August
28,
2026
ABSTRACT: This study explores the potential of biosynthesis technology in producing silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using pomegranate peel extract as a reducing agent, and evaluation of their P-AgNPs for removing heavy metals such as lead (Pb), nickel (Ni), cadmium (Cd), and chromium (Cr), from aqueous solutions. The synthesis of P-AgNPs was confirmed by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX), and Ultra-Violet Visible Spectroscopy (UV-Vis) analysis. The adsorption efficiency was influenced by factors such as metal ion concentration, contact time, pH levels, and the amount of adsorbent used. Functional groups played a significant role in enhancing metal ion reduction, as evidenced by the FT-IR spectrum peaks at 3400, 2900, 1600, 1550, and 1000 cm−1, which contributed to the adsorption process. Additionally, the UV-Vis spectrum exhibited a resonance peak at 386 nm, indicating the successful interaction of bio-components from the PPE solution during nanoparticle synthesis. EDX analysis confirmed the elemental composition, with a strong peak corresponding to silver at 3.6 keV. The XRD analysis confirmed the crystalline phase of P-AgNPs in the synthesized nanoparticles. The data correlated with TEM findings, validating the nanoscale properties of the P-AgNPs. The adsorbent exhibited a maximum removal efficiency of Cr (11.00%), Pb (99.97%), Ni (87.60%), and Cd (99.10%) under optimum conditions of contact time (60 min), adsorbent dose (0.3 g/L), initial metal ion concentration of 1.0 mg/L, and pH (6.0). Equilibrium data were best fitted by the Freundlich isotherm (R2 close to 0.987), indicating heterogeneous multilayer adsorption, the pseudo-first-order model was a better fit to the experimental data. This study highlights the potential application of biosynthesized P-AgNPs in water purification by efficiently eliminating metal contaminants.