Novel silver nano-wedges for killing microorganisms

In the current study, for the first time, photochemical facile green synthesis of salep capped silver nano-wedges was reported via the wet chemical synthesis procedure. Sunlight-UV as an available reducing agent caused mild reduction of silver ions to the silver nano-wedges. Salep as an effective capping/shaping polysaccharide bioresource material was used in the reaction medium and caused creation of flower-like self-assembled structures of the silver nano-wedges. The formation of silver nano-wedges and their flower-like self-assembled structures was confirmed by SEM technique. Further investigations were carried out using UV–vis, FTIR, GPC and XRD data. The prepared silver nano-wedges showed potent biocidal activity against three classes of microorganisms (Escherichia coli Gram-negative bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus Gram-positive bacteria and Candida albicans fungus). The silver nano-wedges prepared with this method can be introduced as real poniards because of their unique shape and antibacterial/antifungal activity and would be promising nominees for a wide range of biomedical applications.

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► For the first time, green synthesis of salep capped Ag nano-wedges was reported via the wet chemical synthesis method.
► Salep, a capping/shaping polysaccharide composite, resulted in synthesis of the Ag nano-wedges.
► Biomedical activity of the Ag nano-wedges introduces these poniard-like materials as a forceful biocide.