Green synthesis of Ag–ZnO nanocomposite using Azadirachta indica leaf extract exhibiting excellent optical and electrical properties

Highlights: • The Ag–ZnO nanocomposites are synthesized using leaf extracts of Azadirachta indica (Neem) Plant in different solvents. • The present green method of synthesis is efficacious, scalable, simple and safe for environment as well as human beings. • Remarkable decrease in energy bandgap is captivated for Ag–ZnO (water) shows, coupling with Ag results in lowering the energy bandgap. • Linear I–V curve depicts enhancement in the photoactivity through Ag addition due to SPR excitation. In recent years, the green synthesis of nanoparticles has been the most explored area of research due to the need for eco-friendly, simple and non-toxic ways for synthesizing the nanoparticles with less waste production. In this paper, the synthesis of Ag–ZnO nanocomposite via hydrothermal method using neem leaf extracts in different solvents i.e., water and ethanol is studied. The characterization of thus prepared Ag–ZnO nanocomposites was done using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (EDS), Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Photoluminescence (PL) to examine the structural, morphological and optical properties of the prepared nanocomposites. The I–V characteristics of the samples are also studied to determine their electrical properties. The decrease in bandgap and linear plot of I–V characterization of Ag–ZnO nanocomposite make it a suitable candidate for applications in various fields like solar cells, gas sensing, biosensors, photoanodes, photocatalysis and anti-bacterial applications etc.