Protein-Polymer Matrix Mediated Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles

Abstract

Silver nanoparticles were synthesized in the protein-polymer matrices of two different ratios to obtain a stringent control over the morphology. UV-visible spectrophotometry showed a single plasmon resonance peak at 416nm and 418nm respectively, confirming the formation of silver nanoparticles. X-ray diffractometry confirmed that the peaks matched with that of the reference silver. Both confocal microscopy and FEG-SEM confirmed the uniform morphology of the synthesized particles dependent on the template ratio. Doubling the protein-polymer concentration results in greater stability, more nucleation sites and hence restricted growth. Photoluminescence of the sample in the doubled matrix was found to be much greater at any given wavelength, meaning the flexibility and rigidity of interacting molecules affects the luminescence signal. The interaction in turn is dependent on the proximity of the proteins and polymer in the dispersion that forms a template and dictates the synthesis.