Preparation and physico-chemical studies of Ag2O nanoparticles using newly formed malonic acid and ZnCl2-based deep eutectic solvents

Abstract

Among the many metallic nanoparticles used in biomedical applications, Silver oxide nanoparticles (Ag2O NPs) are the most important and fascinating nanoparticles, and they are particularly relevant in nanomedicine. To prepare Ag NPs, many methods have been employed; we chose the most typical chemical reduction method utilizing a reducing agent. In this investigation, deep eutectic solvents (Malonic acid with Glucose and Fructose, Zinc chloride with Glucose and Fructose) were used as a medium to prepare silver oxide (Ag2O) nanoparticles by the chemical reduction method, and hydrazine hydrate was used as a reducing agent in the presence of sodium hydroxide, a stabilizing agent. The capacity to synthesize a high number of NPs in a short time is one of the most significant advantages of this method. The product silver NPs were characterized using UV–Visible spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning Electron microscopy (SEM), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern and Energy-Dispersive X-ray Analysis (EDAX). It was observed that Ag2O nanoparticles were formed due to the high viscosity of DESs.The XRD proved that Ag2O nanoparticles were formed in deep eutectic solvents (DESs) of MA-GLU, MA-FRU, ZC-GLU, and ZC-FRU with the grain sizes of the particles -in the nano scale. Furthermore, the SEM analysis also supported that the morphology of the Ag2O particles is very clear at the nano scale and the EDAX analysis supported the purity of the Ag2O nanoparticles obtained in the DESs medium.