Role of Azo Dyes in Reduction of Silver Nanoparticles and their Composite with Reduced Graphene Oxide

Abstract

Metal nanoparticles offer amazing capabilities that have led to the opening of numerous new routes in material science. Metal nanoparticles have the strong chemical activity, high surface-to-volume ratios, optical characteristics, surface plasmon resonance, and adjustable forms as their specialties. Stable AgNPs colloidal particles offer numerous useful uses in the sensors, and the catalytic realm. Creation of stabilized AgNPs is a very demanding work. This thesis outlines a novel method for synthesizing Ag-rGO: Azo Dye as well as a significant method for preventing particle agglomeration using dyes and GO. Using azo dyes (like Eriochrome Black T, methyl Orange) improves characteristics by acting like a stabilizing agent. After adding GO to the solution, the nucleation processes to capture all free ions, halting the development of the particles, and accumulation of fresh nuclei occurs The synthesized samples were characterized by various techniques. The formation of silver nanoparticles and reduction of graphene oxide was studied by UV-Visible spectroscopy. At 420 and 260 nm, peaks of silver nanoparticles and rGO were observed respectively. X-Ray Diffraction confirms the FCC structure of Ag and a broad peak of rGO between 10-15o. The SEM images shown the sheets of reduced graphene oxide and stacking of silver nanoparticles over them. EDS suggested the elemental analysis of the composite. Functional groups containing -OH, C = C, C ≡ N and -C-H have been seen via FTIR. The D and G bands in Raman spectroscopy confirmed the presence of reduced graphene oxide with vibrational energy levels. Further study revealed that Ag-rGO nanocomposite gives a strong degradation efficiency for degrading methylene blue dye. A noticeable growth of the inhibition zone in antibacterial study for both gram-positive (bacillus subtilis) and gram-negative (pseudomonas aeruginosa) strains of bacteria have been observed.