The factors influencing the synthesis of silver nanoparticles using natural polysaccharides

Abstract

The green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using polysaccharides for both reduction and stabilization has garnered significant attention. However, due to the diverse sources and complex structures of polysaccharides, the synthesized AgNPs exhibit significant variations in size, stability, and biological activity. In this study, uniform AgNPs with an average size of 5.83 nm were successfully prepared, and the factors influencing the synthesis of AgNPs using polysaccharides were explored. We found that the reaction speed could be accelerated by increasing the reaction temperature and the concentration of alkali solution. Moreover, polysaccharide with a higher degree of branching (DB) and smaller molecular weight (M_w) facilitated the production of AgNPs. Further investigation revealed that the above phenomenon could be attributed to the exposure of more hydroxyl groups on the end groups of the polysaccharides. In addition, polysaccharides in lower concentration of alkali solution could retain the triple-helical chain conformation, thus helping to stabilize AgNPs due to the interaction of intermolecular hydrogen bonds. This study investigated the factors influencing the synthesis of AgNPs using polysaccharides, providing valuable insights into the fabrication of polysaccharide-based nanoparticles.