Over the past few years, agricultural science has ventured into various novel products and technologies, with metal nanoparticles emerging as highly promising tools. They are anticipated to play an important role in modern agricultural practices. As a result, there is an urgent demand for an eco-friendly, safe, and non-toxic approach to tackle the challenges faced in agriculture and the food industry. Furthermore, waste management presents a challenge in both the agricultural and food industries. Citrus sinensis peels, being among the most underutilized and widely available bio-waste residues, present a significant challenge in waste management for the food industry. The present study addresses this issue by demonstrating the synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) using extract derived from Citrus sinensis fruit peels. The peel extract serves both as a reducing agent and a precursor for nanoparticle synthesis. Verification of ZnO NPs synthesis was achieved through UV-visible spectroscopy, indicating a distinct peak in between 300-400 nm. Additionally, comprehensive characterization of these bioinspired green-synthesized nanoparticles was conducted using scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) facilitated the examination of particle morphology and size distribution, revealing irregularly shaped crystals predominating among the synthesized nanoparticles. The presence of ZnO NPs was further confirmed through X-ray diffraction analysis detecting the average NPs size of about 48nm. On the basis of their size, the synthesized ZnO NPs could be utilized effectively for their medicinal as well as agricultural applications.

Keywords: ZnO NPs, Citrus sinensis peels, Bio-waste residue, Ecofriendly, Green synthesis, Nanoparticles, Non-toxic approach, UV-visible spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM).

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Source of Funding:

This study did not receive any grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Competing Interests Statement:

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest related to the work presented in this paper.

Consent for publication:

The authors declare that they consented to the publication of this study.

Authors' contributions:

All experimental work was done by RRG. RRG prepared a preliminary manuscript. DKK reviewed and revised the manuscript and later submitted it to the Journal.

Data Availability:

There is no research data outside the manuscript file.

Acknowledgment:

The authors are grateful to the Principal, Shri Shivaji College of Arts, Commerce and Science for providing the necessary equipment facility through CIC.