S Preparation of Silver nanoparticles and Silver/ Applications

Silver nanoparticles and silver/silica nanocomposite were prepared by a chemical reduction method in presence of dispersing agents. The samples were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM and UV-vis spectroscopy. The results revealed that the silver nanoparticles are in the size range of 36 -61 nm. The mean sizes and shapes of the nanoparticles can be fine-tuned by varying the preparation method. The samples exhibited plasmon absorption maximum of silver nanoparticles between 390 and 450 nm which are found to be sensitive towards the size and morphology of the silver particles. All the samples showed catalytic activity towards a reduction of p-introphenol with a highest efficiency for Ag/silica sample. The studied Ag nanoparticles showed high photocatalytic activity for the degradation of MO and removal of COD.