Eco-Friendly Synthesis and Characterization of Vanadium Oxide Nanoparticles and its Applications

Abstract

Vanadium oxide (VO) nanoparticles were synthesized using a green method with Plumeria obtusa leaf extract as a natural reducing and stabilizing agent. This eco-friendly approach avoids harmful chemicals and supports sustainable synthesis. The prepared nanoparticles were characterized to confirm their structure and composition. Antibacterial studies showed moderate activity against common bacteria, indicating their potential as alternative antimicrobial agents. Anticorrosion performance was evaluated on mild steel in different media, where the nanoparticles showed better protection in alkaline conditions compared to acidic and neutral environments. The improved performance is due to the formation of a protective layer on the metal surface, which reduces corrosion. Overall, this study highlights a simple, low-cost, and environmentally safe method for synthesizing functional vanadium oxide nanoparticles with promising applications in biomedical and industrial fields.

Introduction

Vanadium oxides are versatile inorganic compounds with multiple oxidation states (+2 to +5), giving them unique structural, electronic, and catalytic properties. Among them, vanadium(V) oxide (V?O?) is the most stable and widely studied, with semiconducting properties, a layered orthorhombic structure, and applications in photocatalysis, energy storage, gas sensing, and catalysis.

Plumeria obtusa L. leaves, rich in flavonoids, tannins, terpenoids, and triterpenoids, were used as a green, eco-friendly reducing and stabilizing agent to synthesize vanadium oxide (VO) nanoparticles. The synthesis involved boiling leaf powder to extract phytochemicals, reacting with vanadium pentoxide, ultrasonication, filtration, and calcination at 500–550?°C.

Characterization of VO nanoparticles confirmed:

• UV–Vis spectroscopy: absorption peaks at 265, 276, and 451?nm indicate π–π*, charge transfer, and d–d transitions.
• FTIR: V=O, V–O–V, and metal–oxygen lattice vibrations confirm oxide formation.
• XRD: orthorhombic crystalline structure with nanoscale size (~2.37?nm).
• FESEM: rod-like, elongated nanostructures (~348?nm) forming layered frameworks.
• EDAX: elemental composition confirmed vanadium and oxygen in expected stoichiometry.
• TGA: high thermal stability, minimal weight loss up to 1000?°C.

Functional properties:

• Antibacterial activity: moderate inhibition against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria (7–11?mm zones).
• Anticorrosion activity: effective in acidic conditions (28.45%), moderate in neutral (6.9%), negligible in alkaline (-3.19%).

Overall, the study demonstrates that green-synthesized VO nanoparticles are crystalline, thermally stable, and possess antibacterial and anticorrosion properties, making them promising for biomedical, catalytic, and industrial applications.

Conclusion

The synthesized VO nanoparticles were successfully confirmed through UV–Vis, FTIR, XRD, FESEM, EDAX, and TGA analyses. The optical studies revealed strong absorption peaks linked to electronic transitions, while FTIR confirmed V–O bonding. XRD patterns showed an orthorhombic crystalline phase with nanoscale crystallite size, and FESEM images displayed rod-like morphology with uniform particle distribution. EDAX verified the elemental composition of vanadium and oxygen, supporting oxide formation. TGA demonstrated good thermal stability with minimal weight loss. Antibacterial studies showed moderate inhibition against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, with VO exhibiting slightly higher activity. Anticorrosion tests indicated strong efficiency in acidic medium, moderate in neutral, and negligible in alkaline conditions. Overall, VO nanoparticles possess high purity, nanoscale dimensions, thermal stability, and functional properties, making them promising for applications in catalysis, energy storage, biomedical, and protective coatings.

References

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Copyright

Copyright © 2026 Arockia Varkeese Berthin D, Mrs. D. Carolin Jeniba Rachel . This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.