Gamma irradiation route to synthesis of highly re-dispersible natural polymer capped silver nanoparticles

Aqueous dispersions of highly stable, redispersible silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) were synthesized using gamma radiolysis with gum acacia as a protecting agent. The formation of nanosized silver was confirmed by its characteristic surface plasmon absorption peak at around 405 nm in UV–vis spectra. The size of the silver nanoparticles can be tuned by controlling the radiation dose, ratio of gum acacia to silver ions and also the ionic strength of the medium. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurement of the as-synthesized nanoparticles indicated the size less than 3 nm at higher dose of radiation and this also corroborated the size measurement from the width of the corresponding X-ray diffraction (XRD) peak. The face centered cubic (fcc) crystallinity of the nanoparticles was evident from XRD and high resolution transmission electron microscopic (HRTEM) measurements. Fourier transform infra-red (FTIR) spectroscopic data indicate a bonding of Ag NPs with COO− group of acacia through bridging bidentate linkage.