ABSTRACT

Naoparticles (NPs) are small particles which ranges between 1-100 nm undetectable by the human eyes. The green synthesis is a new and good method for synthesizing nanoparticles due to its non-toxicity and simplicity. The fungi was isolated from petroleum polluted soil and identified morphologically and moleculally to be Aspergillus japonicus strain NR67. This study revealed the synthesis of silver (Ag), gold (Au), silver and gold (Ag-Au) composite NPs using the biomass ofAspergillus japonicus. The formation of nanoparticles was assessed using uv-vis spectroscopy and characterized with FT-IR and XRD. The antimicrobial and remendiation properties were also evaluated using standard microbiological methods. The uv-vis spectroscopy confirmed the formation of nanoparticles with stability at 24 hours and unstability at 96 hours. FT-IR revealed the hydroxyl and carbonly groups present in the NPs synthesized. The XRD peaks were confirmed with Joint commitee on powder diffraction standard (JCPDS) cards for Ag 00-004-0784, for Au 00-004-0783 and 00-079-0701 for Ag-Au composite NPs which revealed the nanoparticles to be a face centered cubic crystal lattice structure. The gold nanoparticles could effectively inhibit pathogenic organism and the synthesized silver and gold nanoparticles showed remediation property with zones of clearance of waste engine oil on the surface of agar plates.