On the use of Tequila for the biosynthesis of SiO2 nanoparticles

The aim of this work is the synthesis of SiO2 nanoparticles starting from Tequila as green chemistry, which implies something novel. Tequila was used as a capping, a reducer, a surfactant and stabilizer from a solution of silicon tetraacetate, deionized water, acetone, and sodium hydroxide. The structure, optical absorption, and morphological analysis of these nanoparticles were studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and UV-Visible spectrophotometer, and TEM. The XRD analysis indicated an amorphous phase of SiO2 nanoparticles; the size of the synthesized nanoparticle is about 20 +/- 30 nm and optical absorption analysis indicated a peak in the 260 nm range. More than 175 constituents were found in Tequila and the most common constituents were 2-methyl-1-butanol and 3-methyl-1-butanol. These higher alcohols are a good disperser and they could not only increase the number of nucleation sites but also reduce the rate of grain growth. A green and cost-effective method for the synthesis of SiO2 NPs using Tequila which focused on the utilization of a novel and original way, was demonstrated.