Synthesis and characterization of silver nanowires and their promising anticancer effects
William Emmanuel Ghann1, Sk Md Atiqur Rahman2,3,4, Shabib M Uddin1
1Center for Nanotechnology, Department of Natural Sciences, Coppin State University, 2500 W. North Ave, Baltimore, MD, 21216, USA. juddin@coppin.edu.
Abstract:
Silver nanowires (AgNWs) were synthesized by a modified polyol method and evaluated for their structural features and anticancer activity against Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC) cells in vivo. The AgNWs were characterized by UV-vis spectroscopy, zeta potential analysis, dynamic light scattering, FESEM, TEM, and EDS to confirm their optical response, morphology, and elemental composition. The nanowires showed a plasmonic absorption band at 385 nm, a near-neutral zeta potential, and a mean diameter of 71.58 ± 22.78 nm, although minor secondary morphologies were observed. In the EAC mouse model, AgNWs reduced viable EAC cell counts in a non-linear dose-dependent manner, with the lower dose showing stronger inhibition than the higher dose. These findings suggest that AgNWs possess measurable anticancer activity, while also indicating that dispersion state and dose-dependent behavior require further mechanistic study before translational use can be considered.
