Silver and gold nanoparticles for sensor and antibacterial applications

Area of Science:

• Nanotechnology
• Green Chemistry
• Materials Science

Background:

• Traditional synthesis of nanoparticles often involves hazardous chemicals.
• There is a growing need for sustainable and eco-friendly synthesis methods.
• Plant extracts offer a rich source of biomolecules for nanoparticle synthesis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a green biogenic method for synthesizing gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs).
• To utilize Solanum lycopersicum (tomato) extract as a reducing and capping agent.
• To characterize the synthesized nanoparticles and evaluate their sensing and antimicrobial activities.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of AuNPs and AgNPs using Solanum lycopersicum extract.
• Characterization using UV-visible spectroscopy (UV-vis), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS).
• Evaluation of sensing and antimicrobial activities.

Main Results:

• UV-vis spectra showed surface plasmon resonance peaks at 546 nm for AuNPs and 445 nm for AgNPs.
• TEM analysis revealed average sizes of 14 nm for AuNPs and 12 nm for AgNPs, with crystalline structures confirmed by XRD.
• FTIR analysis confirmed the presence of biomolecules responsible for reduction and stabilization.
• EDS confirmed the elemental composition of metallic silver and gold nanoparticles.

Conclusions:

• Solanum lycopersicum extract is effective for the green synthesis of gold and silver nanoparticles.
• The synthesized nanoparticles possess desirable characteristics for sensing applications.
• The nanoparticles demonstrate significant antimicrobial activity, indicating their potential therapeutic value.