Ternary Ag/Polyaniline/Au nanocomposites: Preparation,characterization and electrochemical properties

Ternary Ag/Polyaniline/Au nanocomposites were synthesized successfully by immobilizing of Au nanoparticles (NPs) on the surface of Ag/Polyaniline (PANI) nanocomposites. Ag/PANI nanocomposites were prepared via in situ chemical polymerization of aniline in the presence of 4-aminothiophenol (4-ATP) capped silver colloidal NPs. Then, uniform gold (Au) NPs were assembled on the surface of resulted Ag/PANI nanocomposites through electrostatic interaction to get Ag/Polyaniline/Au nanocomposites. The nanocomposites were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), ultraviolet visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Moreover, Ag/PANI/Au nanocomposites were immobilized on the surface of a glassy carbon electrode and showed enhanced electrocatalytic activity for the reduction of H₂O₂ compared with Ag/PANI.     

Preparation and characterization of nanostructured thin films of Au and Ag nanoparticles synthesized by ascorbic acid on modified glass surface

Immobilization of Ag and Au nanoparticles (NPs) synthesized by ascorbic acid on chemically modified glass surface has been studied. 3‐[2‐(2‐Aminoethylamino)ethylamino]propyl‐trimethoxysilane (AMPTS), N‐(2‐aminoethyl)‐3‐aminopropyltrimethoxysilan, and 3‐trimethoxysilyl‐1‐propanethiol (MSPT) were used as surface modifying agents. To improve immobilization efficiency, the ammonia solution has been used along with the silane reagents, which assisted to adsorb the metal NPs on glass surface. It was found that AMPTS and MSPT have considerable effect on deposition of Ag and AuNPs on glass substrate. The fabricated thin films were characterized by using UV‐Vis spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy and subjected to antimicrobial resistance test. The UV–Vis spectra show a distinctive plasmon resonance absorbance peak for thin films of Au and AgNPs prepared with MSPT and AMPTS, respectively. Atomic force microscopy images indicate that formation of Au and AgNPs with spherical morphology after immobilization on the glass substrate and also the dimensions of NPs on the surface appear larger than those observed in the parent colloidal solution. Energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy measurements confirmed the presence of silver and gold on the modified glass surface, and elemental composition was measured. The Au and AgNPs thin films show antibacterial activity against gram negative (Escherichia coli) and gram positive (Staphylococcus aureus) bacteria in comparison with a blank sample. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

DNA-embedded Au/Ag core-shell nanoparticles

Here, we synthesized highly stable DNA-embedded Au/Ag core-shell nanoparticles (NPs) by a straightforward silver-staining of DNA-modified Au nanoparticles (AuNPs); unlike conventional DNA-surface modified NPs that present particle stability issues, DNA-embedded core-shell NPs offer an extraordinary stability with nanoscale controllability of silver shell thickness; these DNA-embedded core-shell NPs show excellent biorecognition properties and Ag shell-thickness-based optical properties, distinctively different from those of a mixture of AuNPs and AgNPs or Ag/Au alloy nanoparticles.     

Synthesis, Structure and Growth Mechanism of Size and Shape Tunable Au/Ag Bimetallic Nanoparticles

By simply adding ascorbic acid in advance of AgNO₃, the size and shape controllable Au/Ag bimetallic nanoparticles (NP) were prepared in the traditional Au growth solution free of seed at room temperature. The size distribution of NP is well uniform with ca. 10%–15% standard deviation in diameter. By changing CTAB concentration, the size and shape of NPs are tunable. After researching the surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) behavior of the prepared NPs, an enhancement factor varied from 4.3×10⁴ to 1.1×10⁵ was obtained for the NP centered at ca. (64±8) nm. Electrochemical cyclic voltammetric results revealed that the so formed nanoparticles were Au riched Au/Ag bimetallic NP, and this formation might be due to the disproportionation reaction of Au⁺ prompted by Ag⁺ and the under potential deposition process of Ag⁺ on Au.     

One-Step Photochemical Green Synthesis of Water-Dispersible Ag,Au, and Au@Ag Core–Shell Nanoparticles

A simple and green synthetic protocol for the rapid and effective preparation of Ag, Au and Au@Ag core–shell nanoparticles (NPs) is reported based on the light irradiation of a biocompatible, water-soluble dextran functionalized with benzophenone (BP) in the presence of AgNO₃, HAuCl₄, or both. Photoactivation of the BP moiety produces the highly reducing ketyl radicals through fast (<50 ns) intramolecular H-abstraction from the dextran scaffold, which, in turn, ensures excellent dispersibility of the obtained metal NPs in water. The antibacterial activity of the AgNPs and the photothermal action of the Au@Ag core–shell are also shown.     

Pistacia atlantica leaf extract mediated synthesis of silver nanoparticles and their antioxidant,cytotoxicity, and antibacterial effects under in vitro condition

Recently, researchers have investigated the therapeutical properties of metal nanoparticles especially silver nanoparticles in vitro and in vivo conditions. The aim of the experiment was green synthesis and chemical characterization of silver nanoparticles from aqueous extract of Pistacia atlantica leaf (Ag NPs) and evaluation of their cytotoxicity, antioxidant, and antibacterial effects under in vitro condition. Ag NPs were spherical with a size range of 40-60 nm and characterized using various analysis techniques including UV–Vis absorption spectroscopy to determine the presence of Ag NP in the solution. We studied functional groups of Pistacia atlantica extract in the reduction and capping process of Ag NP by FT-IR, crystallinity and FCC planes by XRD pattern, elemental analysis of the sample by EDS, and surface morphology, shapes, and size of Ag NPs by SEM, AFM, and TEM. Destroy initiation and termination temperatures of the Ag NPs were determined by TGA. DPPH free radical scavenging test was done to evaluate the antioxidant potentials, which indicated similar antioxidant potentials for Ag NPs and butylated hydroxytoluene. The synthesized Ag NPs had great cell viability dose-dependently and indicated this method was nontoxic. Agar diffusion tests were done to determine the antibacterial characteristic. Ag NPs revealed similar antibacterial property to the standard antibiotic. Also, Ag NPs prevented the growth of all bacteria at 1-7 μg/ml concentrations and removed them at 3-15 μg/ml concentrations. Finally, synthesized Ag NPs revealed non-cytotoxicity, antioxidant and antibacterial activities in a dose-depended manner.     

The surface modification of spherical ZnO with Ag nanoparticles: A novel agent,biogenic synthesis,catalytic and antibacterial activities

Nowadays, the industrial wastewater pollutants including toxic dyes and pathogenic microbes have caused serious environmental contaminations and human health problems. In the present study, eco-friendly and facile green synthesis of Ag modified ZnO nanoparticles (ZnO-Ag NPs) using Crataegus monogyna (C. monogyna) extract (ZnO-Ag@CME NPs) is reported. The morphology and structure of the as-biosynthesized product were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), X-Ray diffraction (XRD), differential reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), dynamic light scattering (DLS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) techniques. TEM and FESEM images confirmed the oval and spherical-like structure of the products with a size of 55–70 nm. The EDS analysis confirmed the presence of Zn, Ag, and O elements in the biosynthesized product. The photocatalytic results showed ZnO-Ag@CME NPs were degraded (89.8% and 75.3%) and (94.2% and 84.7%) of methyl orange (MO) and basic violet 10 (BV10), under UV and sunlight irradiations, respectively. The Ag modified ZnO nanoparticles exhibited enhanced catalytic activity towards organic pollutants, and showed better performance than the pure ZnO nanoparticles under UV and sunlight irradiations. This performance was probably due to the presence of silver nanoparticles as a plasmonic material. Antibacterial activity was performed against different bacteria. ZnO-Ag@CME NPs showed high antibacterial activity against K. pneumoniae, S. typhimurium, P. vulgaris, S. mitis, and S. faecalis with MIC values of 50, 12.5, 12.5, 12.5, and 12.45 µg/mL, respectively. All in all, the present investigation suggests a promising method to achieve high-efficiency antibacterial and catalytic performance.     

Efficient photodegradation of methyl orange and bactericidal activity of Ag doped ZnO nanoparticles

In the present work, silver-doped ZnO (Ag–ZnO NPs) with different concentrations of silver ions (0.3, 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 mol %) were synthesized by using a simple co-precipitation method. The Ag–ZnO NPs were primarily characterized by XRD, FT-IR, SEM, EDS, TEM, UV–Vis. DRS, PL and BET surface area. The XRD analysis of Ag–ZnO NPs shows a wurtzite structure and optimized Ag–ZnO NPs (1.0 mol %) exhibit a lower crystallite size of 15.96 nm than that of bare ZnO (19.07 nm). Optical study shows a decrease in band gap from 3.13 to 2.97 eV as the concentration of Ag ions increases from 0.3 to 1.5 mol%. TEM images reveal the spherical shape particle with sizes ranging between 10 and 15 nm. From the multipoint BET plot, the surface area of Ag–ZnO NPs found 38.06 m²/gwhich is higher than the ZnO NPs (34.48 m²/g). The photocatalytic study demonstrated that the Ag–ZnO NPs (1.0 mol %) has an excellent photodegradation efficiency of Methyl Orange (96.74%)with a 26% increment as compared to bare ZnO (70.47%). Furthermore, the bactericidal activity of Ag–ZnO NPs (1.0 mol %) was investigated against four different bacterial strains. The results explored that the Gram-negative bacteria (E. coli and P. vulgaris) are more sensitive than Gram-positive (S. aureus and B. cereus) to Ag–ZnO NPs. Overall, the anticipated material is economical and reusable for photodegradation and antibacterial activity.     

Photogenic MnO2/Ag metal nanocomposites and their dye adsorbing activities

• Manganese dioxide/silver (MnO₂/Ag) nanoparticles were fabricated by using KMnO₄-NaBH₄ redox reaction at room temperature. The optical and structural properties of MnO₂/Ag were determined using UV–visible and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopies. The morphology was established with scanning and transmission electron microcopies, and X-ray diffraction. MnO₂/Ag showed excellent adsorbing activity to the removal of Congo red. The various kinetic models were used to determine the rate of dye removal. Congo red adsorption onto MnO₂Ag proceeds through the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Langmuir adsorption capacity (Q⁰_max = 97.1 mg/g), and sorption intensity (n = 1.6) were estimated with Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherm models for 250 mg/L Congo red. Elovich model suggest the adsorption of Congo red with the MnO₂Ag proceeds through the film diffusion. The positive values of enthalpy changes (ΔH⁰), entropy changes (ΔS⁰), and negative Gibbs free energy changes (ΔG⁰) showed that the Congo red adsorption process was endothermic, spontaneous, and chemisorption process followed with physical mechanism. The results showed that the removal efficiency decreases from 98% to 89% after the six consecutive experiments.

     

Observed Dramatically Improved Catalysis of Ag Shell on Au/Ag Core‐shell Nanorods is Due to Silver Impurities Released During Etching Process

Core/shell bimetallic nanoparticles are highly popular in electrocatalysis; it is argued that the core metal enhances the catalytic properties of the shell. We have investigated the electrocatalytic properties of Au/Ag core‐shell nanorods (Au/Ag NRs) where Ag shell was thinned by aging in the presence of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide. We observed excellent electrocatalysis toward hydrogen peroxide electroreduction upon decreasing the Ag shell thickness, which would, at first, appear to imply a strong synergistic effect of the Au core with the Ag shell for electrocatalysis. We show, however, that this electrocatalysis is not caused by particular Au/Ag core/shell structures but rather by the presence of residual silver impurities in the form of Ag nanoparticles (Ag NPs) formed during the preparation of the thin‐layer silver shell/gold core nanorods.     

Analytical separation of Au/Ag core/shell nanoparticles by capillary electrophoresis

This paper demonstrates that capillary electrophoresis (CE) can be employed for characterizing the sizes of a series of Au/Ag core/shell nanoparticles (NPs). We effected the CE separation of Au/Ag core/shell NPs using a mixed buffer of sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) (40 mM) and 3-(cyclohexylamino)propanesulfonic acid (10 mM) at pH 9.7 and an applied voltage of 20 kV. A linear relationship (R(2)>0.99) existed between the electrophoretic mobilities and the sizes of the Au/Ag core/shell NPs within the diameter range from 25 to 90 nm; the relative standard deviations of these electrophoretic mobilities were <0.9%. From the good correlation between the results obtained by CE and those provided by scanning electron microscopy, we confirmed that this CE method is a valid one for characterizing the sizes of Au/Ag core/shell NP samples. In addition, when the Au/Ag core/shell NPs were separated through CE and detected using an on-line photodiode array detector, this approach allowed the chemical characterization of the NP species. This CE approach should allow the rapid and cost-effective characterization of a number of future nanomaterials.     

Au/Ag核一壳结构复合纳米粒子形成机制的研究

在已制备好的Au纳米粒子表面,通过化学还原的方法沉积生长Ag包覆层,通过 控制Au, Ag的比列,制备了粒度均匀且粒径可控的Au/Ag核-壳结构纳米粒子。利用 UV-vis吸收光谱和透射电子显微镜（TEM）对SAu, Ag摩尔比为1：10的复合纳米粒 子的光学性质和形态进行随时监测,直接观察了核-壳结构纳米粒子的生长过程： 一部分Ag+在Au核表面还原生长,溶液中其余Ag+还原形成银的纳米团簇向粒子表面 的继续沉积生长,壳层增厚。     

Synthesis,Characterization, and Photocatalytic Properties of Ag/TiO2 Composite Nanofibers Prepared by Electrospinning

Ag nanoparticles (Ag NPs) embedded titanium dioxide (TiO₂) nanofibers were fabricated by colloidal sol process, electrospinning, and calcination technique. Calcination of the electrospun nanofibers were heat treated at 600°C for 180 minutes in air atmosphere. X-ray diffraction patterns exhibited that the anatase phase and silver coexisted in the resulted Ag NPs/TiO₂ nanofibers; transmission electron microscopy demonstrated Ag NPs well spread in the porous microstructure of composite fibers. The prepared nanofibers were utilized as photocatalyst for degradation of methyl orange. The degradation rate of methyl orange dye solution containing Ag/TiO₂ composite nanofibers is 99% only after irradiation for 3 hours. It is proposed that these new Ag NPs/TiO₂ composite nanofibers will have potential application in water pollution treatment.      

Facile <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aglaia elaeagnoidea</Emphasis> Mediated Synthesis of Silver and Gold Nanoparticles: Antioxidant and Catalysis Properties

A facile and green route for the synthesis of metallic nanoparticles is of significant intriguing, as it provides simple, rapid, clean, nontoxic, easily available, energy-efficient, cost-effective fabrication method. We reported environmentally benign and unexplored plant Aglaia elaeagnoidea flower extract for the synthesis of spherical and crystalline silver (Ag) and gold (Au) nanoparticles with an excellent robustness against agglomeration. The resultant nanoparticles were characterized using UV–Vis spec., FTIR, XRD, FESEM, EDAX, and TEM techniques. The uniqueness of our method lies in fast synthesis (10 min for Ag NPs) and ultra rapid homogeneous and heterogeneous complete degradation of Methylene Blue and Congo Red within few seconds using the synthesized Ag and Au NPs as the catalyst, respectively. Whereas more than 90% conversion of 4-Nitrophenol to 4-Aminophenol within few minutes for homogenous and few seconds for heterogeneous method using Ag and Au NPs were obtained. Hence, the results of this study demonstrate the possible application of biosynthesized of Ag and Au NPs as nanocatalyst in waste water treatment.     

On demand release of ionic silver from gold-silver alloy nanoparticles: fundamental antibacterial mechanisms study

Synthesis and biomedical research of bimetallic gold-silver nanoparticles (Au–Ag NPs) have gained much attention due to their unique properties. Antibacterial mechanism of gold-silver nanoparticles is a current topic of interest in nanomedicine engineering. We used three routes in the synthesis of Au–Ag NPs alloy: i) Co-reduction of [HOOC-4-C₆H₄NN]AuCl₄/AgNO₃, ii) Seeding of AuNPs-COOH/AgNO₃ and iii) immobilization of AgNPs over the parent AuNPs-COOH. Two mild reducing agents, NaBH₄ and 9-BBN (9-borabicyclo(3.3.1)nonane), were used. Colloidal alloy nanoparticles structure was confirmed using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The particles reduced using NaBH₄ were larger (~20 nm) than those synthesized using 9-BBN (<10 nm). The synthesized nanoparticles showed high stability under notoriously leaching conditions of chloride-containing electrolytes. Moreover, we studied the Au–Ag NPs antibacterial activity against the growth of Gram-negative Escherichia coli ATCC strain 25922 and Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus ATCC strain 29213. The antibacterial mechanisms were evaluated by studying the time-dependent generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). A major destruction of the bacterial cell wall and leakage of cell components were observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), which is clearly visible towards E. coli more than S. aureus bacterial strain. The destruction of the bacterial cell wall was further confirmed by detecting the DNA leakage using gel electrophoresis. The synergistic effect of gold enhanced the antibacterial properties, however, with low cytotoxicity to human dermal fibroblast cells. This study deals with the important aspects of time-dependent mechanisms of the antibacterial action of Au–Ag NPs since the leaching out of Ag ion is slow compared to AgNPs. The Au–Ag NPs alloy efficiently tackles microbial activity that can be controlled to minimize cytotoxicity and thus opens their future applications as antibacterial agents.     

Focused-ion-beam-fabricated Au nanorods coupled with Ag nanoparticles used as surface-enhanced Raman scattering-active substrate for analyzing trace melamine constituents in solution

A well-ordered Au-nanorod array with a controlled tip ring diameter (Au_NRs_d) was fabricated using the focused ion beam method. Au_NRs_d was then coupled with Ag nanoparticles (Ag NPs) to bridge the gaps among Au nanorods. The effect of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) on Au_NRs_d and Ag NPs/Au_NRs_d was particularly verified using crystal violet (CV) as the molecular probe. Raman intensity obtained from a characteristic peak of CV on Au_NRs_d was estimated by an enhancement factor of ≈10⁷ in magnitude, which increased ≈10¹² in magnitude for that on Ag NPs/Au_NRs_d. A highly SERS-active Ag NPs/Au_NRs_d was furthermore applied for the detection of melamine (MEL) at very low concentrations. Raman-active peaks of MEL (10⁻³ to 10⁻¹² M) in water or milk solution upon Au_NRs_d or Ag NPs/Au_NRs_d were well distinguished. The peaks at 680 and 702 cm⁻¹ for MEL molecules were found suitable to be used as the index for sensing low-concentration MEL in a varied solution, while that at 1051 cm⁻¹ was practical to interpret MEL molecules in water or milk solution bonded with Au (i.e., Au_NRs_d) or Ag (i.e., Ag NPs/Au_NRs_d) surface. At the interface of Ag NPs/Au_NRs_d and MEL molecules in milk solution, a laser-induced electromagnetic field or hotspot effect was produced and competent to sense low-concentration MEL molecules interacting with Ag and Au surfaces. Accordingly, Ag NPs/Au_NRs_d is very promising to be used as a fast and sensitive tool for screening MEL in complex matrices such as adulteration in e.g., food and pharmaceutical products.     

Preparation of photocrosslinked sol‐gel composites based on urethane‐acrylic matrix,silsesquioxane sequences,TiO2, and Ag/Au Nanoparticles for use in photocatalytic applications

An acid urethane oligodimethacrylate based on poly(ethylene glycol) was synthesized and used in the preparation of hybrid composites containing silsesquioxane sequences and titania domains formed through sol‐gel reactions along with silver/gold nanoparticles (Ag/Au NPs) in situ photogenerated during the UV‐curing process. The photopolymerization kinetics studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and photoDSC showed that the photoreactivity of the investigated formulations depends on the amount of titanium butoxide (5–20 wt %) added in the system subjected to UV irradiation. The introduction of 1 wt % AgNO₃/AuBr₃ in formulations slightly improved the degree of conversion but diminished the polymerization rates. The formation of hybrid materials comprising predominantly amorphous TiO₂/SiO₂ NPs, with or without Ag/Au NPs, was confirmed through specific analyses. The evaluation of photocatalytic activity demonstrated that the synthesized hybrid films are suitable for the complete removal of organic pollutants (phenolic compounds) from water under UV irradiation (200–350 min) at low intensity (found in the solar radiation). © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015 , 53, 1189–1204     

Combining optical lithography with rapid microwave heating for the selective growth of Au/Ag bimetallic core/shell structures on patterned silicon wafers

We demonstrate a novel approach for the production of patterned films of nanometer-sized Au/Ag bimetallic core/shell nanoparticles (NPs) on silicon wafers. In this approach, we first self-assembled monodisperse Au NPs, through specific Au...NH(2) interactions, onto a silicon substrate whose surface had been modified with a pattern of 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (APTMS) groups to form a sandwich structure having the form Au NPs/APTMS/SiO(2). These Au NPs then served as seeds for growing the Au/Ag bimetallic core/shell NPs: we reduced silver ions to Ag metal on the surface of Au seeds under rapid microwave heating in the presence of sodium citrate. Energy-dispersive X-ray analysis confirmed that the Au/Ag bimetallic core/shell NPs grew selectively on the regions of the surface of the silicon wafer that had been patterned with the Au seeds. Scanning electron microscopy images revealed that we could synthesize well-scattered, high-density (>82%) thin films of Au/Ag bimetallic core/shell NPs through the use of this novel strategy. The patterned structures that can be formed are simple to produce, easily controllable, and highly reproducible; we believe that this approach will be useful for further studies of nanodevices and their properties.     

In situ synthesis of Ag nanoparticles in aminocalix[4]arene multilayers

The layer-by-layer (LbL) assembled thin films containing tetraamino-thiacalix[4]arenes (1) and tetraamino-calix[4]arenes (2) were used as nanoreactor to synthesize in situ Ag nanoparticles (Ag NPs). UV–vis spectra and AFM images demonstrate that Ag NPs are included in the (1/Ag NPs)_n and (2/Ag NPs)_n multilayer films. The silver ions are absorbed through cation–π interaction and calix[4]arene-metal ion coordination interaction and are reduced into Ag NPs by calix[4]arenes. TEM images indicated that Ag NPs within aminocalix[4]arene multilayers were highly dispersed and uniform. Moreover, the mean size of Ag NPs is smaller than 10 nm.     

Antibacterial thermoplastic polyurethane electrospun fiber mats prepared by 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane-assisted adsorption of Ag nanoparticles

Antibacterial thermoplastic polyurethane(TPU) electrospun fiber mats were prepared by adsorption of Ag nanoparticles(Ag NPs) onto TPU/3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane(APS) co-electrospun fiber mats from silver sol. The use of APS can functionalize TPU fibers with amino groups, facilitating the adsorption of Ag NPs. The effects of p H of silver sol and APS content on Ag NP adsorption and antibacterial activity were investigated. Ag NP adsorption was evidenced by TEM, XPS and TGA. Significant Ag NP adsorption occurred at p H = 3-5. The main driving force for Ag NP adsorption is electrostatic interaction between ―NH3~+ of the fibers and ―COO-derived from the ―COOH group capped on the surfaces of Ag NPs. The antibacterial activity of the Ag NP-decorated TPU/APS fiber mats was investigated using both gram-negative Escherichia coli and gram-positive Bacillus subtilis. The antibacterial rate increases with increasing APS content up to 5% where the antibacterial rates against both types of bacteria are over 99.9%.