Facile Synthesis of Bulk Cylinder Consolidated with Ultralong Silver Vanadate Nanowires and its Enhanced Antibacterial Activities Against Gram Positive and Gram-Negative Bacteria

Abstract

Self-assembled 3D structures with 0, 1 or 2D nano building blocks are fascinating due to its astounding new and enhanced properties for various applications. Here we report the acetonitrile mediated synthesis of self-assembled bulk cylinder of length ~ 9.00 cm and diameter ~ 4.0 cm consolidated with ultralong and very thin silver vanadate nanowires and its enhanced antibacterial activity. The addition of acetonitrile during synthesis and its volumetric concentration plays an important role in the self-assembly. The use of 30 mL acetonitrile during the mixing of the reactants AgNO3 and NH4VO3 and post hydrothermal treatment at 200 °C for 12 h result the formation of bulk cylinder like structure. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed that the bulk cylinder is consolidated with ultrathin and long β-AgVO3 nanowires having minimum diameter ~16 nm and of undefined length (approximately 10 mm long). The self-assembled β-AgVO3nanowire like structure with very high surface area exhibited very high antibacterial activity against Listeria innocuaATCC 33090 and Staphylococcus aureusATCC 25923 and Escherichia coliATCC 25922, as Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, respectively.