Patent for SD College for making metal nanoparticles

Cost-effective method using citrus fruit extract

Sanatana Dharma (SD) College, Alappuzha, has been granted a patent for an invention titled ‘A Process of Preparing Metal Nanoparticles’. The patent has been granted by the Patent Office, Government of India, for a period of 20 years in accordance with the provisions of the Patents Act, 1970. It is the first patent awarded to the college, which is poised to celebrate its Platinum Jubilee in June 2021, SD College authorities said in a statement here on Friday. As per the statement, the invention paves the way for the synthesis of nano metals in a very cost-effective manner by single-stage auto-decomposition method. “Usually various toxic reducing agents are used for the reduction of metal ion to zero-valent metal. In this method, it is very effectively replaced by citrus fruit extract. Proper tuning of the ratio of extract volume to metal ion concentration is very essential for the successful conversion of metal ion to metal nanoparticles. At present this method is applied to synthesis nano nickel, an efficient catalyst for hydrogenation, coupling reaction and reduction of nitro compounds. This can reduce the cost of synthesis of many industrially important organic compounds,” the research team said.