Transforming expired medicines into TiO2 nanoparticles

Abstract

The study aims to synthesize Titanium Dioxide (TiO₂) nanoparticles using expired disprin and paracetamol, exploring an innovative approach to curb the hazards posed by discarded expired medicines thereby reducing drug pollution and improving ecological footprint. The sol-gel method was employed to synthesize TiO₂ nanoparticles using expired disprin and paracetamol. Various characterization techniques, such as X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), Selected Area Electron Diffraction (SAED), and Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (VSM), were used to analyse the synthesized nanoparticles. The XRD and EDS analyses confirmed the formation of TiO₂ nanoparticles. The nanoparticles synthesized from both paracetamol and disprin showed a dominant anatase phase with stray peaks of rutile and brookite phases. SAED of paracetamol-derived nanoparticles showed a highly crystalline structure. FESEM confirmed the synthesis of uniformly distributed spherical nanoparticles with size range between 5-20 nm. The size of nanoparticles estimated from both XRD and FESEM appear to be in good agreement. VSM confirmed the diamagnetic nature of both paracetamol and disprin-derived nanoparticles. The study demonstrates that synthesizing TiO₂ nanoparticles using expired pharmaceuticals can be a promising approach to mitigate the environmental hazards posed by discarded expired medicines. This novel method has the potential to revolutionize the synthesis of nanoparticles and contribute to a more sustainable future.