Citrus-Mediated Green Synthesis of Zinc Nanoparticles: A Comparative Study

Abstract

Green chemistry-mediated synthesis of zinc nanoparticles (ZnNPs) represents a sustainable and efficacious alternative to conventional physical and chemical approaches. Citrus fruits, including Citrus sinensis (orange), Citrus limon (lemon), Citrus aurantiifolia (lime), and Citrus limetta (mosambi), are rich reservoirs of bioactive phytochemicals such as flavonoids, phenolics, citric acid, and ascorbic acid, which serve as pivotal reducing and stabilizing agents in the biogenic fabrication of nanoparticles. This review presents a comparative analysis of ZnNPs synthesized utilizing extracts from these four distinct citrus species, elucidating variations in their physicochemical attributes, including particle size, morphology, antioxidant capacity, and antimicrobial potential. Comprehensive characterization employed techniques such as UV-Vis spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM),¹ Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), and Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy to rigorously evaluate nanoparticle characteristics. The findings indicate that Citrus limon and Citrus aurantiifolia extracts are particularly effective in generating smaller, more stable ZnNPs, while Citrus sinensis and Citrus limetta extracts yield nanoparticles exhibiting superior antioxidant efficacy. This study underscores the profound influence of diverse phytochemical compositions on the functional properties of biogenically synthesized ZnNPs and explores their promising applications across biomedicine, food packaging, agriculture, and environmental remediation.