Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles and their reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites as antibacterial agents: A bio-inspired approach

Abstract

In this paper, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and AgNPs/reduced graphene oxide (RGO) nanocomposites were prepared using lemon juice under microwave irradiation (MWI) and UV light irradiation. AgNPs with face-centered cubic structure RGO peaks were observed by X-ray diffraction. The UV-Vis spectrum showed modifications in the absorption peaks of the AgNPs with the concentration of the precursor solution and irradiation time, and the optimized condition was obtained for 20 min MWI and 60 s of UV light. Raman analysis confirmed the presence of RGO as D and G bands in the spectrum. Transmission electron microscopy analyses confirmed that the AgNPs of size ranging from 3 to 8 nm were anchored onto the RGO sheets. The antibacterial properties of the AgNPs/RGO nanocomposites were investigated using gram-negative bacteria. The results revealed that AgNPs/RGO nanocomposites consisting of approximately 5 wt% AgNPs can achieve antibacterial performance similar to that of neat AgNPS. This method can be useful for the applications of AgNPs-based nanocomposites, where minute amount of silver will be utilized.