Investigation on the impact of different stabilizing agents on structural, optical properties of Ag@SnO2 core - shell nanoparticles and its biological applications

Abstract

Abstract This manuscript details the impact of stabilizing agents on the structural, optical properties of Ag@SnO2 core – shell nanoparticles and its biological applications. Three different stabilizing agent viz. Poly Vinyl Pyrrolidone (PVP), zeroth generation triazolyl glycodendrimer and zeroth generation triazolyl chalcone dendrimer were used as stabilizers in the synthesis of Ag@SnO2 nanoparticles. The results were compared to study their effect on the structural and optical properties of the synthesized samples. The structural parameters of the samples were investigated by XRD analysis, FESEM and HRTEM images. The presence of SnO2 shell on the Ag core was also corroborated by XPS results. The XRD data was used for refining and characterizing the elements present in the sample by Reitveld method. The average crystallite size, dislocation density, lattice parameters (a, c), lattice strain of the samples were calculated using XRD measurements. Williamson – Hall (W-H) method and Size – Strain Plot (SSP) method were used to calculate the lattice strain of the synthesized sample. The concentric rings of the SAED pattern and the lattice fringe images exhibited the interplanar d-spacing values and the results were compared with XRD measurements. The optical properties of the samples were investigated using UV–Vis spectra and the band gap energy were calculated using Tauc plot. The Photoluminescence (PL) studies of the Ag@SnO2 core – shell nanoparticles with the three stabilizing agents are also discussed in this work. The antibacterial and antifungal activities of the chalcone dendrimer stabilized Ag@SnO2 core – shell nanoparticles were tested against the pathogens Bacillus subtilis, Proteus mirabilis, Candida albicans and Aspergillus niger.