Sugar-Mediated Green Synthesis of Silver Selenide Semiconductor Nanocrystals under Ultrasound Irradiation

Abstract

Silver selenide (Ag2Se) is a promising nanomaterial due to its outstanding optoelectronic properties and countless bio-applications. To the best of our knowledge, we report, for the first time, a simple and easy method for the ultrasound-assisted synthesis of Ag2Se nanoparticles (NPs) by mixing aqueous solutions of silver nitrate (AgNO3) and selenous acid (H2SeO3) that act as Ag and Se sources, respectively, in the presence of dissolved fructose and starch that act as reducing and stabilizing agents, respectively. The concentrations of mono- and polysaccharides were screened to determine their effect on the size, shape and colloidal stability of the as-synthesized Ag2Se NPs which, in turn, impact the optical properties of these NPs. The morphology of the as-synthesized Ag2Se NPs was characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and both α- and β-phases of Ag2Se were determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The optical properties of Ag2Se were studied using UV–Vis spectroscopy and its elemental composition was determined non-destructively using scanning electron microscopy–energy-dispersive spectroscopy (SEM–EDS). The biological activity of the Ag2Se NPs was assessed using cytotoxic and bactericidal approaches. Our findings pave the way to the cost-effective, fast and scalable production of valuable Ag2Se NPs that may be utilized in numerous fields.

Green Synthesis of Selenium and Tellurium Nanoparticles: Current Trends, Biological Properties and Biomedical Applications

“…The most widely used techniques include UV-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, luminescence spectroscopy (LS), scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD). XRD confirms the presence of NPs and determines their lattice structure, crystallinity, and crystallite size using the Debye-Scherrer equation [21]. Electron microscopy techniques, such as TEM and SEM, enable the study of NP shape and size to deduce their size distribution along with elemental composition (EDX) [21,109].…”

“…XRD confirms the presence of NPs and determines their lattice structure, crystallinity, and crystallite size using the Debye-Scherrer equation [21]. Electron microscopy techniques, such as TEM and SEM, enable the study of NP shape and size to deduce their size distribution along with elemental composition (EDX) [21,109]. According to Kapur et al, magnified field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) images provide information about the nature and composition of the NPs [108].…”

“…The quantity of engineered nanoparticles (NPs) is expected to increase significantly in the years to come as they receive growing global attention due to their attractive properties, multifunctionalities, unique characteristics, and innovative applications in different industrial and scientific domains [2][3][4][5][6]. Several physical and chemical methods have been extensively explored to fabricate NPs, such as laser ablation [7,8], coprecipitation [9,10], hydrothermal route [11,12], solvothermal route [13,14], sol-gel process [15,16], polyol process [17,18], electrochemical methods [19,20], sonochemistry [21,22], and microwaveassisted methods [23,24]. However, the use of toxic chemicals and/or the generation of harmful byproducts limit their application in clinical fields.…”

Recent Advances in Inorganic Nanomaterials Synthesis Using Sonochemistry: A Comprehensive Review on Iron Oxide, Gold and Iron Oxide Coated Gold Nanoparticles

“…The sonochemical method has been employed to synthesize a variety of nanomaterials other than noble metals with a variety of structures. Among these materials are CdS NPs [ 21 ], Ag 2 Se NPs [ 22 ], AgNPs [ 23 ], Pt NPs [ 24 ] and ZnO NPs [ 25 ]; transition metal oxides [ 26 ]; silicon oxide nanocrystals [ 27 ]; carbon-based materials [ 28 ] and metal composites [ 29 ].…”

Biogenic Synthesis of Silver-Core Selenium-Shell Nanoparticles Using Ocimum tenuiflorum L.: Response Surface Methodology-Based Optimization and Biological Activity

“…These hybrid NPs can be synthesized using chemical reductants (citrate, sodium borohydride, hydrazine, dimethylamine borane, and hydroquinone) or green synthesis routes. Synthesis via chemical reduction has been the most commonly reported approach, with a limited number of studies reporting on the synthesis of Ag-Se NPs using green chemistry [14][15][16][17].…”