A spicy silver lining

Date3rd, Sep 2020

Summary:

Researchers David Omar Oseguera-Galindo and Eden Oceguera-Contreras, both of the University of Guadalajara, Mexico, and Dario Pozas-Zepeda of the University of Colima, Mexico, recently studied the effect of habanero pepper in the synthesis of silver nanoparticles. Their research, published in the Journal of Nanophotonics, resulted in a simple, low-cost, ecofriendly method of obtaining silver nanoparticles.

Full text:

Silver Nanoparticles Are Synthesized with the Help of the Spicy Habanero Pepper

image: Silver nanoparticles are synthesized with the help of the spicy habanero pepper. From the Journal of Nanophotonics, doi 10.1117/1.JNP.14.036012 view more 

Credit: SPIE

Distinctive thermal and electrical characteristics make silver nanoparticles perfect for optics and biosensing applications. One increasingly popular application for the nanoparticles is as an antibacterial coating. Silver nanoparticle coatings are used in fabrics, footwear, computer keyboards, and orthopedic and other biomedical devices.

The process of synthesizing the silver nanoparticles involves chemical reduction of silver nitrate salt (AgNO3). A pair of reagents breaks down the AgNO3 molecules, releasing silver ions that are "reduced" through the acceptance of electrons. This favors the formation of silver nanoparticles. However, the reagents are reported to have toxic properties, so since the early 2000s, ecofriendly methods have been sought to reduce silver nitrate and other metal nanoparticles, including gold and platinum.

Researchers David Omar Oseguera-Galindo and Eden Oceguera-Contreras, both of the University of Guadalajara, Mexico, and Dario Pozas-Zepeda of the University of Colima, Mexico, recently studied the effect of habanero pepper in the synthesis of silver nanoparticles.

Source:

EurekAlert