Sonoelectrochemical synthesis of silver nanoparticles in sodium polyacrylate solution

Abstract

The paper shows the effectiveness of a “green” synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in sodium polyacrylate (NaPA) solutions by sonoelectrochemical method using silver sacrificial anodes. Using the cyclic voltammetry in the ultrasonic field in the range of E from 1.0 to-1.0 V, the temperature and NaPA concentration are the main parameters influencing the rate of synthesis and the size of AgNPs. As these parameters increase, the rate of nanoparticle synthesis increases. According to TEM studies, with increasing temperature and decreasing NaPA concentration, there is a tendency to increase the size of AgNPs. However, in all of the cases, the size of AgNPs does not exceed 30 nm. Using the UV–Vis spectroscopy, it was found that the position of the absorption peak at c.a. 500 nm, corresponding to the silver nanoparticles, is practically not shifted during numerous cycles. This fact may indicate the stability of sonoelectrochemical synthesis of AgNPs in time. Synthesized AgNPs revealed high antibacterial activity against gram-positive and gram-negative strains of typical pathogens of nosocomial infections, demonstrating the prospect of using sonoelectrochemical technique for obtaining silver colloids as a component of bactericidal drugs.