In situ and facile synthesis of silver nanoparticles on baby wipes and their applications in catalysis and SERS

Abstract

This article reports composite materials made up of baby wipes and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). AgNPs were immobilized on wipes via in situ synthesis. Fibers in baby wipes were first impregnated with silver ions and these were subsequently reduced to AgNPs with a reducing agent. During the impregnation the hydroxyl groups in fibers served to bind the silver ions and AgNPs after reduction. The composite material, AgNP@wipe thus created was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy disperse X-ray (EDX) line analysis, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), UV-visible and Fourier transformed infrared (FTIR) spectroscopies. We assessed these AgNP@wipe composites for catalytic properties and surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) activities. The catalytic activity of AgNP@wipe composites was assessed with a model reaction where 4-nitrophenol was reduced to 4-aminophenol with a reducing agent. SERS activity was evaluated with a food contaminant, melamine.