Abstract
We show that sodium 9,10-epoxy-12-hydroxytetradecanoate (SEAR), an epoxidized derivative of ricinoleic acid, simultaneously functioned as reducing and stabilizing agents in the synthesis of silver nanoparticles in alkaline aqueous medium. The advantage of using SEAR is its biodegradability and nontoxicity, which are important characteristics for mitigation of environmental impact upon discharge of nanoparticles into terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. The SEAR concentration was found to impact considerably the size distribution of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). A concentration below the SEAR critical micelle concentration (CMC) generated 23 nm sized AgNPs with 10 nm standard deviation, while 50 nm sized AgNPs (σ=21 nm) were obtained at a concentration above the SEAR CMC. FTIR analysis revealed that the carboxylate that constitutes the SEAR hydrophilic head binds directly to the AgNPs surface promoting stabilization in solution. Finally, AgNPs turned into Ag2S upon contact with wastewater samples from Wastewater Treatment Plant at Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Brazil, which is an interesting result, since Ag2S is more environmentally friendly than pure AgNPs.
Highlights
Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have found innumerable applications that comprise biomedicine [1, 2], food storage [3], sensors [4], andcatalysis [5, 6]
Since the experiments were conducted in alkaline medium, we hypothesized the hydroxyl group on SEAR tail would be deprotonated to some extent and the epoxide ring would be open generating more hydroxyl groups to act as reducing agents
The following results confirm that SEAR is capable of reducing silver ions under the conditions employed in the present study
Summary
Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have found innumerable applications that comprise biomedicine [1, 2], food storage [3], sensors [4], and (electro)catalysis [5, 6]. Used as a laxative folk medicament, castor oil is nowadays employed predominantly in cosmetic industries as a cream base in formulations of skin moisturizers [22] It is primarily constituted of ricinoleic acid (approximately 90%), which can be transformed into sodium ricinoleate via alkaline hydrolysis [23]. Vieira et al [25] found that topical application of ricinoleic acid exerted exceptional analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity in rats These features would make castor oil derivatives eligible for nanoparticle synthesis, provided that the 18-carbon fatty acid is capable of preventing aggregation and excessive nanoparticle growth. For the first time, that sodium 9,10-epoxy-12-hydroxytetradecanoate (SEAR), an epoxidized derivative of ricinoleic acid, simultaneously functions as reducing and stabilizing agents in the synthesis of silver nanoparticles in alkaline aqueous medium. Changes in the UV-Vis signal of the AgNPs suggested that these nanoparticles may be interesting sensor for chemical oxygen demand determination
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