Plasma-aided green and controllable synthesis of silver nanoparticles and their compounding with gemini surfactant

• DOI: 10.1016/j.jtice.2021.04.061
• Publication Date: 2021-05-25T06:44:04Z
• Authors: Liangliang Lin; Xuanhe Li; Juan Zhou; Jinglin Zou; Jiahui Lai; Zhanghao Chen; Jie Shen; Hujun Xu
• Keywords: Compounding; Cationic polymerization; Silver nanoparticle; Nanomaterials; Selected area diffraction

Abstract The compounding of surfactants with specific nanomaterials may result in a system of multi-functionalities. In this work, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were prepared by a microplasma-aided approach, where traditional chemical reductants were not required. The influence of plasma conditions and parameters on the product (e.g. composition, structure) was studied via characterization techniques like UV–Vis, SEM, TEM, EDX, XRD, SAED, OES and HRTEM. Results showed that crystalline AgNPs of high purity can be directly obtained in one step, without any chemical reducing agents. Meanwhile, a gemini cationic surfactant (Tetramethylene-α,ω-bis(lauryloxyethyl dimethyl lammonium bromide)) of superior surface activity and well antibacterial property was synthesized, and then compounded with the plasma-generated AgNPs to form a nano-surfactant system. By evaluating their antibacterial activity against E. coli and S. aureus, the synergistic effects of the compounding system were studied. It was demonstrated that AgNPs were well-dispersed in the presence of the gemini cationic surfactant, and the nano-surfactant compounding system has improved antibacterial activity as well as good stability.