## 4 Discussion
Only water and a few minutes are necessary to completely remove the phytic acid content from plant materials [32]. The interaction of plant material with hot water causes the cell walls to rupture, allowing for soluble phytic acid to leach into the medium [33]. Given that phytic acid undergoes thermal decomposition at 150 \({}^{\circ}\)C for about one hour [34], we can assume that phytic acid will be present in the extract, considering the conditions we followed to produce it. There are several properties of phytate that suggest its potential role in the green synthesis of aluminum nanoparticles. Firstly, phytate possesses multiple negative charges, which makes it an effective chelator of multivalent cations such as calcium, magnesium, and iron [35]. It forms strong complexes with mineral cations through ionic interactions with negatively charged phosphates [36]. Secondly, phytic acid serves as an important source of antioxidants [37]. For instance, [PERSON] et al. [38] evaluated bioactive components in canola seeds, including phytic acid, and determined its free-radical-scavenging activity using the DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) method. Their findings showed that phytic acid exhibited the highest DPPH-scavenging activity, indicating a superior antioxidant effect compared to other components like condensed tannins and chlorophyll. Therefore, the significant role of phytate from _Q. suber_ somatic embryos in the precipitation of aluminum nanoparticles in this experiment is plausible when mixed with aluminum nitrate nonahydrate. The chelation mechanism limits the free aluminum ions in solution, creating localized supersaturation conditions that promote the formation of crystalline nanoplates rather than other morphologies. This results in the formation of a dark precipitate. The change in coloration of the aluminum nitrate solution caused by the extract of cork oak somatic embryos is characteristic of nanoparticle synthesis. The extract reacted slowly with the aluminum nitrate nonabydrate solution, producing a cloud that settled at the bottom of the container before nanoparticle precipitation occurred. UV-VIS spectroscopy is indispensable for analyzing the optical properties of nanoparticles. The surface plasmon resonance (SPR) peak detected in UV-VIS spectra provides specific information about the optical properties of nanoparticles. The position of the SPR peak correlates directly with the size and shape of the particles, offering valuable insights into their nanoscale structure and electronic configuration [39]. The absorption peaks may be attributed to specific electronic transitions within the aluminum phosphate structure, which can be influenced by the presence of aluminum and its interaction with phosphate groups [40]. The presence of multiple peaks in the UV-VIS spectra, such as those observed at 345-360 nm and 402 nm for aluminum phosphate nanoplates, indicates their anisotropic nature [41]. Anisotropic materials exhibit varying physical properties along different axes, often due to their distinct two-dimensional shapes and crystal orientation. In the case of nanoplates, these multiple peaks correspond to different electronic excitations and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) modes, reflecting their ability to interact differently with incident light depending on their orientation. In an anisotropic material like nanoplates, the multiple SPR peaks between 345 nm and 360 nm might reflect interactions influenced by the plate's thin dimensions along certain crystallographic directions. They may be associated with plasmonic resonant modes that are sensitive to certain dimensions of the nanoplates, possibly their thickness or combinations of length and width. A prominent peak at 402 nm could also indicate specific optical resonances or plasmonic effects due to another distinct dimension of the nanoplates, such as the dominant length or width. At the nanoscale, surface effects become more pronounced.