Biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles by the seed extract of Strychnos potatorum: a natural phytocoagulant

In this study, facile and ecofriendly methods have been developed for the biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles from silver nitrate using the seed extract of Strychnos potatorum, a natural phytocoagulant. The effect of room temperature stirring, water bath heating and autoclaving on nanoparticle synthesis was studied. The water soluble compounds in the extract serve as reducing and stabilising agents. Analytical techniques such as UV-visible spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction were used to characterise the synthesised nanoparticles. By tuning the reaction conditions, size controlled spherical nanoparticles of around 14.1 ± 4.8 nm were generated. The face centred cubic crystalline structure of the nanoparticles is confirmed from the observed peaks corresponding to (111), (200), (220) and (311) planes in the XRD pattern, concentric rings with intermittent bright dots in selected-area electron diffraction patterns and clear lattice fringes in high-resolution TEM images. With Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy, a probable mechanism involved in the reduction and stabilisation of nanoparticles has been investigated. As the silver nanoparticles are encapsulated with functional groups, they can be easily integrated for various biomedical applications.