Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles and their application for the development of optical fiber based hydrogen peroxide sensor

Green synthesis of nanoparticles and their applications in sensing area is of great interest to the research community. Herein we report a green approach for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) by using locust bean gum (LBG) polysaccharide and its application to detect hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Ag NPs were synthesized by mixing optimized weight percent of LBG with a known quantity of silver nitrate (AgNO3) at 55-60 degrees C. Synthesized Ag NPs were characterized by UV-vis spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The size of synthesized Ag NPs was in the range of 18-51 nm depending upon the concentration of LBG and AgNO3. Further, a low cost and portable optical fiber based sensor using LBG stabilized Ag NPs was developed for monitoring the H2O2 concentration as low as 0.01 mM. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.