Production of Selenium Nanorods by Phytopathogen, <i>Alternaria alternata</i>

Abstract

The use of green chemistry can however enhance nanoscience by maximizing safety and efficiency while minimizing the environmental and societal impacts of nano materials. In this paper, the culture filtrate of the phytopathogen, Alternaria alternata was used for the bio-reduction of sodium selenate (Na2SeO4) to produce selenium nanorods. Change in colours to dark red of the reaction mixture signifies the development of nano selenium. Scanning electron microscopic (SEM) and Transmission electron microscopic (TEM) images explained the formation of nanorods in the range of 200 to 800 nm in length and 50–70 nm in width. Energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) study revealed the presence of selenium in the nanorods. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) confirmed the presence of a protein shell outside the nanorods which in turn support their stabilization. A novel method has been presented here to synthesize nanorods in which the fungus culture filtrate was used and upto date literature survey showed this is the first report on mycosynthesis of selenium nanorods.