Controlled Synthesis of Functional Silver Nanoparticles Dispersible in Aqueous and Non-Aqueous Medium

The synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) controlled by active participation of 3-Amino-propyltrimethoxysilane (3-APTMS) and 3-Glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane (GPTMS) is found to be function of two sequential processes; (1) interaction of metal ions with 3-APTMS and (2) interaction of GPTMS with 3-APTMS capped metal ions. The mechanism of such process as evidenced from visual photographs, UV-visible spectroscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) is reported. The experimental findings demonstrate the followings; (1) There is faster interaction of 3-APTMS with gold ions as compared to that of silver ions under similar conditions, (2) Methanolic solution of GPTMS undergo interaction with 3-APTMS and the same is facilitated in the presence of 3-APTMS treated silver ions, (3) The size of as synthesized AgNPs increases with an increase in 3-APTMS concentration whereas reverse is recorded for change in GPTMS concentration, (4) The molar ratio of 3-APTMS/GPTMS control the nanogeometry as well as the dispersibility of AgNPs in both aqueous and non aqueous media, (5) The dispersion ability of AgNPs is attributed to the hydrophobic alkyl chain of the reaction product of GPTMS and 3-APTMS (6) AgNPs shows absorption maxima as a function of refractive index of the medium and (7) The as synthesized AgNPs behave as peroxidase mimetic in both aqueous and non-aqueous medium justifying the potential typical applications.