The present work reports the synthesis, characterization, and antimicrobial activities of adipic acid-capped silver nanoparticles (AgNPs@AA) and their utilization for selective detection of Hg²⁺ ions in an aqueous solution. The AgNPs were synthesized by the reduction of Ag⁺ ions with NaBH₄ followed by capping with adipic acid. Characterization of as-synthesized AgNPs@AA was carried out by different techniques, including UV–Visible spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), and zeta potential (ZP). In the UV–Vis absorption spectrum, the characteristic absorption band for AgNPs was observed at 404 nm. The hydrodynamic size of as-synthesized AgNPs was found to be 30 ± 5.0 nm. ZP values (−35.5 ± 2.4 mV) showed that NPs possessed a negative charge due to carboxylate ions and were electrostatically stabilized. The AgNPs show potential antimicrobial activity against clinically isolated pathogens. These AgNPs were found to be selectively interacting with Hg²⁺ in an aqueous solution at various concentrations. A calibration curve was constructed by plotting concentration as abscissa and absorbance ratio (A_Control − A_Hg/A_Control) as ordinate. The linear range and limit of detection (LOD) of Hg²⁺ were 0.6–1.6 μM and 0.12 μM, respectively. A rapid response time of 4 min was found for the detection of Hg²⁺ by the nano-probe. The effect of pH and temperature on the detection of Hg²⁺ was also investigated. The nano-probe was successfully applied for the detection of Hg²⁺ from tap and river water

A facile green method is used to synthesize silver nanoparticles (Ag Nps) in one minute. The colloidal stability of two types of Ag Nps (namely, hydroxypropylcellulose-succinate (HPC-Suc) capped silver nanoparticles (Ag Nps@suc) and citrate-capped silver nanoparticles (Ag Nps@cit)) is investigated using UV-Vis spectrometry and electrochemical particle impacts “nano-impacts” measurements. Ag Nps@suc were newly synthesized by simply mixing aqueous solutions of HPC-Suc and silver nitrate and exposure to sunlight. The growth of Ag Nps was controlled by adjusting the exposure time to sun light. Local surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) study was conducted using UV-Vis spectrophotometer. The surface morphology, size, elemental analysis and composition of Ag NPs@suc was determined by SEM-EDX, while ATR-FTIR was used to assess any type of chemical reactions between the precursors. For stability and size distribution measurements zeta-potential (ZP), dynamic light scattering (DSL) and anodic particle coulometry (APC) were performed. The as-prepared Ag Nps@suc exhibited a narrow size distribution with an average diameter of 20 nm. Nps sizing using particles electrochemical impacts method is consistent with SEM and DLS techniques. The results show that Ag Nps@cit are prone to relatively rapid clustering upon addition of electrolyte (100 mM K2SO4). On the other hand, Ag Nps@suc exhibit excellent stability with only ~ 9% decay in absorbance over 24 h even at high electrolyte concentration. Using KCl, KBr and NaCl electrolytes, the stability of the synthesized Ag Nps@suc also compares favorably to Ag Nps@cit.

Life on Earth is at risk due to widespread pollution from industrialization and human activities. The presence of harmful heavy metal ions in drinking wate

The concentrations of Pb(II), Cd(II), and Ni(II) ions in the groundwater (GW) of the Sargodha region of Pakistan are significantly higher than the WHO and