Green synthetic approach for starch capped silver nanoparticles and their antibacterial activity

In this work silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have been prepared from silver nitrate (AgNO3) precursor using a green synthesis method at room temperature. Starch with its abundance of hydroxyl groups and its biocompatibility was used as a capping and reducing agent. The formation of AgNPs was confirmed by absorption spectroscopy with the surface plasmon resonance peak at 400 nm. The sharp reflection at (111), (200), (220) and (311) was observed by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), which indicated the presence of cubic phase AgNPs. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed that the average size of AgNPs were between 0.5 and 4 nm with a spherical shape under optimum conditions. The nanoparticles showed a decrease in size with an increase in precursor concentration as well as the increase in capping agent concentration. The nanoparticles also showed to be bactericidal towards the tested Gram-negative (Escherichia coli) and Grampositive (Staphylococcus aureus) bacteria.