Green synthesis of silver nanoneedles using shallot and apricot tree gum

Abstract

A green synthesis method to produce silver nanoneedles was described using shallot and apricot tree gum (ATG). A fast, simple, and low cost method was used to synthesize silver with nanoparticle and nanoneedle shape from the silver nitrate solution. Shallot as a reducing agent and apricot tree gum (ATG) as a stabilizer and a capping agent were utilized to reduce and form silver ions into silver atoms with needle and particle shape. Moreover, high crystalline structures of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) with diameters of 8–20 nm and silver nanoneedles with average diameters of 50–60 nm and lengths of 5–10 μm were consequently synthesized by shallot and the mixture of shallot and ATG. A self-assembly mechanism was proposed to indicate the formation of needle-like structures of spherical AgNPs via carbon chains of ATG. The results indicate that the presence of ATG with shallot can transfer the reduced AgNPs into the silver nanoneedle. The findings were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), ultra violet visible (UV-Vis) spectrometry, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques.