Comparative Characterization of Iron and Silver Nanoparticles: Extract-Stabilized and Classical Synthesis Methods

Synthesis of silver nanoparticles using extracts from plants is an advantageous technological alternative to the traditional colloidal synthesis due to its simplicity, low cost, and the inclusion of environmentally friendly processes to obtain a new generation of antimicrobial compounds. The work describes the production of silver and iron nanoparticles using sphagnum extract as well as traditional synthesis. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) and laser doppler velocimetry methods, UV-visible spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) combined with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), dark-field hyperspectral microscopy, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) were used to study the structure and properties of synthesized nanoparticles. Our studies demonstrated a high antibacterial activity of the obtained nanoparticles, including the formation of biofilms. Nanoparticles synthesized using sphagnum moss extracts likely have high potential for further research.

Automated summary

Synthesis of silver nanoparticles using plant extracts is a viable alternative to traditional methods, offering simplicity, affordability, and environmentally friendly processes. This study successfully produced silver and iron nanoparticles using sphagnum extract and traditional methods. Various techniques, including DLS, UV-visible spectroscopy, TEM with EDS, AFM, dark-field hyperspectral microscopy, and FT-IR, were employed to analyze the structure and properties of the synthesized nanoparticles. The findings demonstrated strong antibacterial activity, including biofilm formation, and suggested the potential for further research on nanoparticles synthesized using sphagnum moss extracts.