A facile and green ultrasonic-assisted synthesis of BSA conjugated silver nanoparticles

The formation and growth of hybrid nanoparticles of a protein BSA and silver by ultrasonic assistance were tracked by surface plasmon resonance signal of silver nanoparticles and light scattering. The hybrid nanoparticles were characterized by surface plasmon resonance spectra, light scattering, TEM, circular dichroism spectroscopy and zeta potential. Size along with the spherical shape of the nanoparticles could be controlled and nanoparticles with diameters ranging from 8 to 140 nm could be obtained, depending upon the ultrasonication time (15-30 min) and molar ratio of AgNO(3)/BSA (20-200). The role of single free thiol group in the reduction of silver ions was also investigated by using DTNB modified BSA and protein conjugated silver nanoparticles were formed even with thiol modified BSA. The growth and size of the nanoparticles were governed by ultrasonic assisted Ostwald ripening. BSA conjugated with silver nanoparticles showed changes in the secondary structure with an increase in the beta sheet structure to 33% as compared to 7% in native BSA as determined by CD spectra. Zeta potential measurements in the pH range of 2.0-12.0 demonstrated that the surface charges of the BSA conjugated silver nanoparticles were similar to that of native BSA suggesting that surface charges and overall three dimensional structure of BSA did not change much. This approach provides a strategy for completely green synthesis of hybrid nanoparticles consisting of a biological entity and an inorganic material. This is the first application of ultrasonic assistance in formation of such hybrid nanomaterials in aqueous media.