Original Article

Valorization of agricultural waste: green synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles from artichoke stem (Cynara scolymus) and cardoon extract (Cynara cardunculus) for photocatalytic applications

¹ Faculty of Science, Laboratory of spectroscopy, Molecular Modeling, Materials, Nanomaterials, Water and Environment, (CERNE2D), Mohammed V University in Rabat, Morocco
² Higher School of Education and Training, Chouaib Doukkali University, El Jadida, Morocco
³ ENSAM, Laboratory of spectroscopy, Molecular Modeling, Materials, Nanomaterials, Water and Environment, (CERNE2D), Mohammed V University in Rabat, Morocco

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Received: 29 August 2025
Accepted: 9 December 2025

Abstract

This paper presents a simple, efficient, and a green, eco-friendly method to synthesize ZnO nanoparticles through Artichoke and Cardoon waste as biological reducing agents. This strategy minimizes the utilization of environmentally dangerous chemicals in the production process. The ZnO nanoparticles were characterized through UV-Vis spectroscopy, FTIR, XRD, and SEM-EDX, confirming their formation and properties. Furthermore, the photocatalytic efficiency of the synthesized ZnO nanoparticles using a green approach against dyes was successfully demonstrated.