Photochemical synthesis of silver nanoparticles in H2O/Triton X-100/[Bmim]PF6 ionic liquid microemulsions and their antimicrobial activity

This study presented a photoreduction route for synthesis of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) in ionic liquid microemulsions (ILMs). The 10 nm Ag NPs were photochemically synthesized in the H2O/Triton X-100/[Bmim]PF6 (HTB) ILMs. Above 99% Escherichia coli (E. coli) BL21 was killed in the presence of 1.56 mu g/mL Ag NPs solution after incubation for 20 min, indicating that the Ag NPs prepared in HTB ILMs was applicable for the antimicrobial agent. This proposed approach for controllable preparation of Ag NPs is facile and environment-friendly, which provides great possibilities for the further functional modification of Ag NPs.