Facile route for preparation of silver nanoparticle-coated precipitated silica

In this research, a facile route was used to prepare silver nanoparticle-coated precipitated silica using sodium silicate, a cheap precursor. Precipitated silica (PS) was synthesized by dropping 8% H2SO4 into a mixed solution of sodium silicate 24% (Na2O·3.4SiO2) and NaCl 4%; under constant stirring. The precipitated silica was then modified by simultaneous addition of 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (3-APTES) and 8% H2SO4. The resulting material was aged at 80 °C for 1 h to produce amino-functionalized precipitated silica (AFPS). Silver nanoparticle-coated precipitated silica (Ag–NPS) was synthesized by adding silver nitrate (AgNO3). The synthesis procedure also involved mixing for 2 h and dropping 0.05 M sodium borohydride (NaBH4). The final products, namely, PS, AFPS, and Ag–NPS were characterized using BET analyzer, FE-SEM, TEM and XRD. Silver nanoparticles with an average size ranging from 18 to 25 nm were found mostly coated on the exterior layer of the precipitated silica. The synthesis method reported in this work is facile and might be used for large-scale industrial production of inexpensive Ag–NPS.