Authors

Abstract

This work reports a novel biological method for the synthesis of rod shaped silver nanoparticles by exploiting sundried Stevia rebaudiana leaves at ambient conditions. On treatment of aqueous solutions of silver with leaf powder, not only the rod shaped silver nanoparticles ranging from 80-200 nm diameter and 400-800 nm height, but also cubes ranging from 55 to 80 nm in size, could be rapidly fabricated. The rate of reduction is much faster than those observed in earlier studies, highlighting the possibility that biological methodologies will achieve rates of synthesis comparable to those of chemical methods. The approach also appears to be a cost-efficient alternative to conventional methods, so it would be suitable for developing a biological process for large scale production. Instead of the boiled leaf broth used in previous studies, sundried leaf biomass could be preserved as an excellent bio-reductant, conveniently available any time for biosynthesis of the nanoparticles.

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