Novel Green Synthesis and Characterization of the Antioxidant Activity of Silver Nanoparticles Prepared from Nepeta leucophylla Root Extract

Bioinspired silver nanoparticles were synthesized using nontoxic, eco-friendly, and novel root extract of Nepeta leucophylla. The reduction of silver nitrate salt into nanoparticles is performed using the root extract, which is rich in polyphenolic and flavonoid contents. The reduction of silver salt by this extract is occurred at several temperatures and the reaction mixture turns brown and displayed representative absorbance spectra of silver nanoparticles. The influence of numerous synthesis parameters such as the concentration of root extract, time, temperature, and reaction pH on the synthesis of silver nanoparticles was also examined. Furthermore, the synthesized silver nanoparticles were characterized by ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy, Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and transmission electron and field emission scanning electron microscopy. The formation of silver nanoparticles was enhanced with time, temperature, and at basic pH. The surface plasmon resonance band characteristics of silver nanoparticles were detected at 410?nm in the ultraviolet–visible absorbance spectra. The infrared spectroscopy results show that the extract contains phenol which is responsible for reduction and proteins may be capping the silver nanoparticles which prevent agglomeration. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that silver nanoparticles were spherical and the sizes matched well with X-ray diffraction and theoretical calculations by Mie theory. Furthermore, the antioxidant potential of the synthesized silver nanoparticles was assessed using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl assay and showed considerable antioxidant potential.     

Chitosan aerogel containing silver nanoparticles: From metal-chitosan powder to porous material

The work presents a synthetic approach that combines methods of metal vapor synthesis (MVS), gelation and supercritical drying in order to obtain chitosan aerogels containing silver nanoparticles. On the first stage, two types of silver organosols were prepared via the eco-sustainable MVS method. Then the prepared silver organosols were used to modify chitosan powders for producing metal-chitosan powder composites. Gelation of the powder composites was performed in oxalic acid at elevated temperatures. Supercritical drying of the gels was implemented in order to preserve the formed porous structures. Thus, the chitosan powders modified with MVS-produced silver nanoparticles were used to prepare metal-chitosan aerogels. Characterization of the structure and the morphology of both powder and aerogel silver-chitosan composites was conducted by means of low temperature nitrogen adsorption, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, small-angle X-ray scattering, SEM and TEM. Changes in the structure and morphology of silver nanoparticles between powder and aerogel composites were analyzed.     

Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles using green alga (Chlorella vulgaris) and its application for synthesis of quinolines derivatives

Nanoparticles have been used century ago but have regained their importance in recent years being simple, ecofriendly, pollutant free, nontoxic, low-cost approach, and due good atom economy. In this report, we have demonstrated the synthesis of silver nanoparticles using green algae (Chlorella vulgaris) which in turn was used for synthesis of biologically important quinolines. Algal extract was prepared and treated with silver nitrate solution for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles. Synthesized nanoparticles were characterized with the help of analytical tools like UV, FTIR, X-ray, and SEM and used as a catalyst for the synthesis of quinolines.     

Phytochemical fabrication and characterization of silver nanoparticles by using Pepper leaf broth

The Pepper leaves extract acts as a reducing and capping agent in the formation of silver nanoparticles. A UV–Vis spectrum of the aqueous medium containing silver nanoparticles demonstrated a peak at 458 nm corresponding to the plasmon absorbance of rapidly synthesized silver nanoparticles that was characterized by UV–Vis spectrophotometer. The morphology and size of the benign silver nanoparticles were carried out by the transmission electron microscope (TEM) and field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM). The sizes of the synthesized silver nanoparticles were found to be in the range of 5–60 nm. The structural characteristics of biomolecules hosted silver nanoparticles were studied by X-ray diffraction. The chemical composition of elements present in the solution was determined by energy dispersive spectrum. The FTIR analysis of the nanoparticles indicated the presence of proteins, which may be acting as capping agents around the nanoparticles. This study reports that synthesis is useful to avoid toxic chemicals with adverse effects in medical applications rather than physical and chemical methods.     

Extracellular biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles using the fungus Aspergillus fumigatus

Development of reliable and eco-friendly process for synthesis of metallic nanoparticles is an important step in the filed of application of nanotechnology. One of the options to achieve this objective is to use natural processes such as use of biological systems. In this work we have investigated extracellular biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles using Aspergillus fumigatus. The synthesis process was quite fast and silver nanoparticles were formed within minutes of silver ion coming in contact with the cell filtrate. UV–visible spectrum of the aqueous medium containing silver ion showed a peak at 420 nm corresponding to the plasmon absorbance of silver nanoparticles. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) micrograph showed formation of well-dispersed silver nanoparticles in the range of 5–25 nm. X-ray diffraction (XRD)-spectrum of the silver nanoparticles exhibited 2θ values corresponding to the silver nanocrystal. The process of reduction being extracellular and fast may lead to the development of an easy bioprocess for synthesis of silver nanoparticles.     

Specific features of polyol synthesis of silver nanoparticles with the use of solid carboxylates as precursors

Electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and chromatography-mass spectrometry have been employed to investigate the reduction of solid silver caprylate in ethylene glycol with the formation of silver nanoparticles. The structural characteristics of silver nanoparticles have been studied as depending on the conditions of their synthesis, including temperature, reduction time, and silver salt concentration. It has been found that, in the studied range of parameters under the conditions, when solid silver caprylate is dispersed in ethylene glycol, the characteristics of resulting nanoparticles are almost independent of the synthesis temperature. This peculiarity is related to the fact that the formation and growth of nanoparticles occur on the surface of silver salt crystals and are accompanied by gradual dissolution thereof. In this system, ethylene glycol plays the roles of a reductant and a solvent for liquid reaction products.     

Biosynthesis, purification and characterization of silver nanoparticles using Escherichia coli

The application of nanoscale materials and structures, usually ranging from 1 to 100 nanometers (nm), is an emerging area of nanoscience and nanotechnology. Nanomaterials may provide solutions to technological and environmental challenges in the areas of solar energy conversion, catalysis, medicine, and water-treatment. The development of techniques for the controlled synthesis of nanoparticles of well-defined size, shape and composition, to be used in the biomedical field and areas such as optics and electronics, has become a big challenge. Development of reliable and eco-friendly processes for synthesis of metallic nanoparticles is an important step in the field of application of nanotechnology. One of the options to achieve this objective is to use ‘natural factories’ such as biological systems. This study reports the optimal conditions for maximum synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) through reduction of Ag⁺ ions by the culture supernatant of Escherichia coli. The synthesized silver nanoparticles were purified by using sucrose density gradient centrifugation. The purified sample was further characterized by UV–vis spectra, fluorescence spectroscopy and TEM. The purified solution yielded the maximum absorbance peak at 420 nm and the TEM characterization showed a uniform distribution of nanoparticles, with an average size of 50 nm. X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectrum of the silver nanoparticles exhibited 2θ values corresponding to the silver nanocrystal. The size-distribution of nanoparticles was determined using a particle-size analyzer and the average particle size was found to be 50 nm. This study also demonstrates that particle size could be controlled by varying the parameters such as temperature, pH and concentration of AgNO₃.     

Microwave-Assisted Green Synthesis of Non-Cytotoxic Silver Nanoparticles Using the Aqueous Extract of Rosa santana (rose) Petals and Their Antimicrobial Activity

Green methods using biological extracts, in particular plant-based solutions, have shown great potential for silver nanoparticle synthesis. A microwave-assisted single-step phytosynthesis of silver nanoparticles is described in the present study. The aqueous extract obtained from the Rosa santana (rose) petals was used for the first time in the synthesis. The synthesized nanoparticles obtained after optimized microwave conditions for time and temperature were analyzed by ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV–Vis), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Zeta-size analysis. The results obtained from the characterization studies showed that the synthesized nanoparticles were nearly spherical in shape with sizes from 6.52?nm to 25.24?nm with an average particle size of 14.48?nm with a face-centered cubic structure. The antibacterial activities of the synthesized nanoparticles were evaluated and revealed that the silver nanoparticles displayed good inhibition against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. Also, the cytotoxic effect of the silver nanoparticles on a mouse fibroblast cell line (L929) was studied by a cell viability assay. The results showed that phytosynthesized silver nanoparticles were nontoxic to the healthy normal cell line at all tested concentrations.     

XPS study of silver and copper nanoparticles demonstrated selective anticancer,proapoptotic, and antibacterial properties

Silver and copper nanoparticles were produced by an ecologically safe metal vapor synthesis (MVS) method using acetone as an organic dispersion medium. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed that the specimens are spherical and polydisperse, and their average size is 2.5 nm for silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) and 2.6 nm for copper nanoparticles (Cu NPs). X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses showed that the state of silver in the nanoparticles is close to that of silver in the Ag⁰ state, whereas copper black contains two oxidized states of the metal—Cu⁺ and Cu²⁺. Biological in vitro studies demonstrated that the nanoparticles have antibacterial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial species. Cu NPs exhibited more prominent antibacterial effects and induced significant growth inhibition of Bacillus cereus and Escherichia coli. Both types of nanoparticles showed anticancer properties in vitro. Cu NPs induced intense cytotoxicity in cancer and normal fibroblasts in vitro cultures, but their inhibitory effect against noncancerous cells was milder compared with cancer cell lines. Ag NPs demonstrated selective cytotoxicity against human lung and cervical adenocarcinoma cell lines. Further in vitro studies indicated that the mechanism of Ag NPs and Cu NPs anticancer effects involves induction of apoptosis. The present study describes a green synthesis approach for production of biologically active silver and copper nanoparticles and highlights their potential for medical application.     

Metal and Metal Oxide Nanostructures Prepared by Electrical Arc Discharge Method in Liquids

In this review, the importance of electrical arc discharge technique in liquids in synthesis of various nanostructures from carbon based materials to metal and metal oxide nanostructures with their general and specific properties, especially the photocatalytic performance of metal oxide nanostructures is studied. The effect of arc current on size distribution, morphology and physicochemical properties of metal and semiconductor nanostructures was investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and UV–Vis spectroscopy. WO₃ Cubic nanostructures with 30 nm mean particle size were formed during the discharge process in water. Discharge between zinc electrodes in water leads to formation of rod like and semi spherical ZnO nanostructures with 15–20 nm diameter range. ZrO₂ nanoparticles were formed using zirconium electrodes in water. Photodegradation of Rhodamine B (Rh. B) shows that the as prepared nanostructures in this method have potential ability for environmental purifications. Also, using silver electrodes in water leads to formation of silver nanoparticles with 8–15 nm average particle size. Moreover, a novel method for synthesis of gold nanoparticles without using gold electrodes is presented. Finally, the future outlook of this technique in synthesis of various nanocrystalline materials is presented.     

Biosynthesis of Silver Nanoparticles by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Geotricum</Emphasis> sp.

Nanoparticles are usually 1–100 nm in each spatial dimension considered as building blocks of the next generation of optoelectronics, electronics, and various chemical and biochemical sensors. In the synthesis of nanoparticles use of microorganisms emerges as an eco-friendly and exciting approach that reduce waste products (ultimately leading to atomically precise molecular manufacturing with zero waste); the use of nanomaterials as catalysts for greater efficiency in current manufacturing processes by minimizing or eliminating the use of toxic materials (green chemistry principles); the use of nanomaterials and nanodevices to reduce pollution (e.g. water and air filters); and the use of nanomaterials for more efficient alternative energy production (e.g. solar and fuel cells). Fungi have many advantages for nanoparticle synthesis compared with other organisms. In this study, Geotricum sp. found to successfully produce Ag nanoparticles. Geotricum sp. was grown in SDA (Sabro Dextrose Agar) medium at 25 ± 1 °C for 96 h. The mycelia were used to convert silver nitrate solution into nano-silver. Silver nanoparticles were synthesized using these fungi (Geotricum sp.) extracellularly. UV–VIS spectroscopy, Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and Scanning Electron Microscopy images shows the nanoparticle formation in the medium. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) also confirmed that silver nanoparticles in the range of 30–50 nm were synthesized extracellularly. FTIR analyses confirmed the presence of amide (I) and (II) bands of protein as capping and stabilizing agent on the surface of nanoparticles.     

Biosynthesis of Silver Nanoparticles by Bacillus stratosphericus Spores and the Role of Dipicolinic Acid in This Process

Seeking for simple, rapid, and environmental-friendly routes to produce metal nanoparticles is quite attractive for various biotechnological applications. Biological synthesis method of silver nanoparticles has been found very promising due to their non-toxicity and simplicity. Here, the spores of Bacillus stratosphericus isolated from soil enriched with 30 % H₂O₂ were used for the production of silver nanoparticles. Furthermore, the possible mechanism of silver nanoparticle synthesis by the spores was elucidated for the first time. In this regard, dipicolinic acid (DPA) was shown to play a critical role as a nanoparticle-producing agent. UV–Vis absorption spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction technique, energy-dispersive spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy were used to characterize the nanoparticles. Unlike vegetative cells of B. stratosphericus, the spores and the purified DPA were capable of producing nanoparticles from silver nitrate (AgNO₃). These biogenic nanoparticles, which were highly toxic against different pathogenic bacteria, showed mixed structures including spherical, triangular, cubic, and hexagonal with the approximate size between 2 and 20 nm in diameter. Our results illustrated the role of dipicolinic acid as a main factor for the synthesis of nanoparticles by the bacterial spores.     

Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles by seed of Phoenix sylvestris L. and their role in the management of cosmetics embarrassment

Recently, green synthesis of silver nanoparticles has attracted much curiosity in the field of life science research. In the present study, we have reported a green method for synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using aqueous seed extract of Phoenix sylvestris L. The green synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by aids of dynamic light scattering, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Fourier transform-infrared. Further, the study demonstrate the comparative phytochemical analysis as well as antioxidant and antibacterial activity of the extract and Phoenix sylvestris seed generated nanoparticles against acne-causing pathogens, that is, by using a DPPH-scavenging assay and broth microdilution method as well as Kirby–Bauer Disk diffusion method (recommended by CLSI), respectively. Moreover, a concentration-dependent time-kill kinetic studies were also carried out to determine their antimicrobial activity. The seed extract was found a better antioxidant and AgNPs exhibited highly biocidal agent against both the test pathogens, when compared to aqueous extracts. The results obtained indicate that seed extract of P. sylvestris is suitable for synthesizing stable silver nanoparticles, which act as excellent antimicrobial agents with promising treatments for cosmetics embarrassment.     

Biosynthesis of Bixa orellana seed extract mediated silver nanoparticles with moderate antioxidant,antibacterial and antiproliferative activity

Biosynthesis of metallic silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) has gained much interest and offers an attractive alternate to physical and chemical approaches. In recent year several safe, easy, cost-effective, reproducible, and environmentally friendly synthesis approaches for silver nanoparticles have been developed. In this research work, a simple, cheap, and unexplored method was applied on green synthesis of AgNPs using secondary metabolites extracted from Bixa orellana seeds. The seeds are rich of flavonoids and phenolic compounds which presumably responsible for the fast reduction and stabilization of silver ion into silver nanoparticles. The biosynthesis process is very likely to be able to reduce silver ions under simple physiological conditions. The surface plasmon resonance (SPR) that was appeared at 420 nm in UV–vis spectrum, had confirmed the formation of AgNPs. Moreover, the functional groups in secondary metabolite that act as reducing, capping and stabilizing agents for silver nanoparticles, are identified by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra. An X-ray diffraction analysis generated four peaks for Bixa orellana seed extract mediated AgNPs positioned at 2θ angles of 38.1°, 44.2°, 64.6°, and 77.5° corresponding to crystal planes (1 1 1), (2 0 0), (2 2 0), and (3 1 1). Field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images confirmed the formation of nanosized silver particles. The z-average of the synthesized particles measured by dynamic light scattering (DLS) was found to be 92.9 nm. AgNPs synthesized exhibited remarkable antioxidant activity, antibacterial and antiproliferative activity against human breast (MCF-7) cell line. On the basis of our results, we conclude that biologically synthesized AgNPs exhibited favorable characteristics and have the potential to be used in biomedical fields.     

Rapid Biosynthesis of Silver Nanoparticles Using Areca Nut (Areca catechu) Extract Under Microwave-Assistance

In this research paper, we report on the rapid synthesis of silver nanoparticles using dried areca nut (Areca catechu). The microwave exposed aqueous areca nut powder when treated with the aqueous silver salt solution yielded irregular shaped silver nanoparticles. The formation and morphology of the nanoparticles are studied using UV–visible spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The X-ray diffraction studies and energy dispersive X-ray analysis indicate that the particles are crystalline in nature. The understanding of capping of biological moiety is derived from Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and the thermogravimetric analysis. The green chemistry approach for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles is modest, amenable for large scale commercial production. Further the biologically synthesized silver nanoparticles are known for their potential antibacterial activity.     

Phytofabrication of silver nanoparticles from Limonia acidissima leaf extract and their antimicrobial,antioxidant and its anticancer prophecy

Green synthesis of nanoparticles by eco-friendly methods is a recent technique which draws the attention of researchers because of the reward over many conventional chemical methods. The present work focuses on aqueous Limonia acidissima leaf extract in synthesizing silver nanoparticles and its applications in a simple way. The silver nanoparticles formed were characterized by Infrared, Ultra violet-visible, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopic, and atomic force microscopic techniques. The powder X-ray diffraction studies and transmission electron microscopic images reveal that the silver nanoparticles synthesized were approximately 10–40 nm and have a spherical structure. The nanoparticles were assayed for their antibacterial, antifungal and antioxidant activity. The antimicrobial studies for the silver nanoparticles show a maximum zone of inhibition of 8.8 mm for Bacillus subtilis bacteria and 8.5 mm for Candida albicans fungi at 3 and 1 μg/mL respectively. In-silico ADMET studies reveal that the toxicity, bioactivity, pharmacokinetics and drug-likeness properties of Limonia acidissima leaf extract is good. The molecular docking studies show that the microbial activity is high for Bacillus subtilis and Candida albicans showing the coincidence of the in silico and in vitro studies as expected. The free radical scavenging activity of nanoparticles is 80 for 100 μg/mL. The 50% of inhibition of silver nanoparticles against human breast cancer cell lines is 18 μg/mL. It is evident that silver nanoparticles would be helpful in treating cancer cell lines and have great perspectives in the biomedical sector.     

Biological synthesis of silver nanoparticles in Tribulus terrestris L. extract and evaluation of their photocatalyst,antibacterial, and cytotoxicity effects

In recent years, progress of biological synthesis of nanoparticles is inevitable due to its important applications. In this research, a new and simple method for the synthesis of AgNPs from plant extracts is presented. The extract from shoots of the plant Tribulus terrestris L. was mixed with AgNO₃ with the aim of biologically synthesizing AgNPs. The biomolecules existing in the extract were accountable for the fast reduction of silver ions (Ag⁺) to AgNPs. Characterization of biosynthesized AgNPs was performed by UV–Vis, TEM, DLS, and XRD. The AgNPs exhibit a strong peak at 434 nm, and sphere-shaped AgNPs were found to be ~?25 nm. The biosynthesized silver nanoparticles have demonstrated high antibacterial effect against pathogenic bacteria (i.e., Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa). In addition, the in vitro cytotoxicity effect of biosynthesized silver nanoparticles was also investigated and was detected to be up to 15.62 μg/mL in the treated Neuro2A cells. The plant-mediated biosynthesis of AgNPs has comparatively rapid, eco-friendly, inexpensive and wide-ranging application in modern medicine and the food industry.

     

Production and structural characterization of crystalline silver nanoparticles from Bacillus cereus isolate

To date, biosynthesis of metal nanoparticles has been intensively studied using bacteria and fungi. We have isolated and identified metal resistant bacterial strains from electroplating industries, they produce silver nanoparticles. The reduction reaction of aqueous silver nitrate with bacterial biomass was carried out for 120 h. Bacteria produced metallic nanoparticles showed a strong absorbance at surface plasmon resonance wavelength around 420 nm. The size and morphology of these nanoparticles were typically imaged using high resolution transmission electron microscopy, the particles size ranges between 4 and 5 nm and are spherical in shape. The crystal structure of the particles was characterized by X-ray diffraction pattern. The full width half maxima from X-ray diffraction measurements indicated that the particles exhibited face-centered cubic phase.     

Studies on Silver Accumulation and Nanoparticle Synthesis By <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cochliobolus lunatus</Emphasis>

Development of reliable and eco-friendly processes for synthesis of metallic nanoparticles is an important step in the field of application of nanotechnology. Biological systems provide a useful option to achieve this objective. In this study, potent fungal strain was selectively isolated from soil samples on silver supplemented medium, followed by silver tolerance (100–1,000 ppm) test. The isolated fungus was subjected to morphological, 18S rRNA gene sequencing and phylogenic studies and confirmed as Cochliobolus lunatus. The silver accumulation and nanoparticle formation potential of wet cell mass of C. lunatus was investigated. The accumulation and nanoparticle formation by wet fungal cell mass with respect to pH change was also studied. The desorbing assay was used to recover accumulated silver from cell mass. C. lunatus was found to produce optimum biomass (0.94 g%) at 635 ppm of silver. Atomic absorption spectroscopy study showed that at optimum pH (6.5 ± 0.2), cell mass accumulates 55.6% of 100 ppm silver. SEM and FTIR studies revealed that the cell wall of C. lunatus is the site of silver sorption, and certain organic groups such as carbonyl, carboxyl, and secondary amines in the fungal cell wall have an important role in biosorption of silver in nanoform. XRD determined the FCC crystalline nature of silver nanoparticles. TEM analysis established the shape of the silver nanoparticles to be spherical with the presence of very small-sized nanoparticles. Average size of silver nanoparticles (14 nm) was confirmed by particle sizing system. This study reports the synthesis and accumulation of silver nanoparticles through reduction of Ag⁺ ions by the wet cell mass of fungus C. lunatus.     

Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles by pepper extracts reduction and its electocatalytic and antibacterial activity

Stable silver nanoparticles were synthesized with the aid of a novel, non-toxic, eco-friendly biological material namely, green pepper extract. The aqueous pepper extract was used for reducing silver nitrate. The synthesized silver nanoparticles were analyzed with transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS). TEM image shows the formation of silver nanoparticles with average particle size of 20 nm which agrees well with the XRD data. The main advantage of using pepper extract as a stabilizing agent is that it provides long-term stability for nanoparticles by preventing particles agglomeration. To investigate the electrocatalytic efficiency of silver nanoparticles, silver nanoparticles modified carbon-paste electrode (AgNPs–CPE) displayed excellent electrochemical catalytic activities towards hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The reduction overpotential of H₂O₂ was decreased significantly compared with those obtained at the bare CPE. An abrupt increase of the cathodic current for HER was observed at modified electrode. Also, the antibacterial activity of silver nanoparticle was performed using Escherichia coli and Salmonellae. The approach of plant-mediated synthesis appears to be cost efficient, eco-friendly and easy methods.