Abstract
The process of obtaining aqueous solutions of silver nanoparticles with the use of a low-temperature nonequilibrium contact plasma and stabilizing agent—polysaccharide (sodium alginate)—has been examined. The synthesized Ag NPs were characterized by using UV-Vis spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and XRD analysis. The effect of concentration of Ag+, sodium alginate, duration of processing by plasma discharge, and pH of liquid on the production of silver nanoparticles has been studied. The results demonstrated that synthesis provides the formation of silver nanoparticles for investigated concentrations of Ag+(0.3-3.0 mmol/l) and 5.0 g/l Na-Alg (pH=7–10) within 1–5 minutes. From the SEM images, the silver nanoparticles are found to be almost spherical. Powder XRD results reveal that Ag nanoparticles have a face-centered cubic crystal structure. Zeta potential of plasma-chemically obtained colloidal solutions at various concentrations of Ag+ions and stabilizing agent varies from −32.8 to −39.3 mV, indicating the moderate stability of synthesized nanoparticles.
Highlights
One of the most widely studied types of nanomaterials is silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) [1,2,3]
It is well established that Ag NPs have antimicrobial, antifungal, antiviral, catalytic, sensory, and other properties, which make it possible to apply them in various fields: water treatment, textile manufacture, chemical industry, medicine, pharmaceutical industry, etc. [7,8,9]
It is known that one of the main factors influencing the formation of NP is the concentration of the precursor, the stabilizing reagent in the reaction medium, and the duration of the process of the dispersion formation of silver nanoparticles [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10]
Summary
One of the most widely studied types of nanomaterials is silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) [1,2,3]. World production of Ag NPs is estimated to be in the range of 360–450 tons per year [4]. According to [4,5,6], by 2025, it will grow to 800 tons per year. The main producers of Ag NPs are the USA, China, Japan, and Europe. There are currently a number of traditional methods known to produce silver nanoparticles with specific physicochemical properties, such as physical, chemical, photochemical, and biological methods. The development of new highly efficient and innovative technologies for obtaining Ag NPs and exploring their properties for further practical application is still relevant
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