Handheld portable device for delivering capped silver nanoparticles for antimicrobial applications.

Area of Science:

• Nanotechnology
• Materials Science
• Green Chemistry

Background:

• Developing cost-effective and environmentally friendly methods for nanoparticle synthesis is crucial.
• Silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) possess significant antimicrobial and catalytic properties.
• Existing methods for Ag NP production can be complex and resource-intensive.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a simple, green, and cost-effective method for producing capped silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs).
• To evaluate the catalytic and antibacterial properties of the synthesized Ag NPs.
• To explore the potential of in-situ synthesis-cum-fabrication for antimicrobial applications.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a handheld portable mesh nebulizer to spray a precursor solution of silver nitrate and a ligand (glycerol or sodium alginate).
• Generated Ag NPs in water microdroplets under ambient conditions without external reducing agents or radiation.
• Characterized the synthesized nanoparticles using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD).

Main Results:

• Successfully synthesized capped silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) using the described nebulizer method.
• Characterization confirmed the formation of Ag NPs.
• Glycerate-capped silver nanoparticles (Ag-gly NPs) demonstrated catalytic activity in the oxidative coupling of aniline, yielding up to 61% azobenzene.
• Ag NPs exhibited over 99% antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli.

Conclusions:

• The portable nebulizer method provides a simple, cost-effective, and green approach for Ag NP production.
• The synthesized Ag NPs possess valuable catalytic and potent antibacterial properties.
• This in-situ synthesis-cum-fabrication technique offers a promising alternative for antimicrobial wound healing applications, potentially replacing current fiber or hydrogel-based methods.