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Biocompatible silver nanoparticles prepared with amino acids and a green method

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Abstract

The synthesis of nanoparticles is usually carried out by chemical reduction, which is effective but uses many toxic substances, making the process potentially harmful to the environment. Hence, as part of the search for environmentally friendly or green synthetic methods, this study aimed to produce silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using only AgNO3, Milli-Q water, white light from a xenon lamp (Xe) and amino acids. Nanoparticles were synthetized using 21 amino acids, and the shapes and sizes of the resultant nanoparticles were evaluated. The products were characterized by UV–Vis, zeta potential measurements and transmission electron microscopy. The synthesis of silver nanoparticles with tryptophan and tyrosine, methionine, cystine and histidine was possible through photoreduction method. Spherical nanoparticles were produced, with sizes ranging from 15 to 30 nm. Tryptophan does not require illumination nor heating, and the solution color changes immediately after the mixing of reagents if sodium hydroxide is added to the solution (pH = 10). The Xe illumination acts as sodium hydroxide in the nanoparticles synthesis, releases H+ and allows the reduction of silver ions (Ag+) in metallic silver (Ag0).

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge ABC Federal University for zeta potential measurements and Fapesp 2014/06960-9 for financial support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Exact and Earth Sciences, Federal University of São Paulo, Diadema, São Paulo, Brazil

    Ricardo Almeida de Matos & Lilia Coronato Courrol

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  1. Ricardo Almeida de Matos
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  2. Lilia Coronato Courrol
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Correspondence to Lilia Coronato Courrol.

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This article does not contain any studies with human participants or animals performed by any of the authors.

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Handling Editor: H. S. Sharma.

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de Matos, R.A., Courrol, L.C. Biocompatible silver nanoparticles prepared with amino acids and a green method. Amino Acids 49, 379–388 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00726-016-2371-4

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