Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Phyllanthin-assisted biosynthesis of silver and gold nanoparticles: a novel biological approach

  • Research Paper
  • Published:
Journal of Nanoparticle Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The anisotropic gold and spherical–quasi-spherical silver nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized by reducing aqueous chloroauric acid (HAuCl4) and silver nitrate (AgNO3) solution with the extract of phyllanthin at room temperature. The rate of reduction of HAuCl4 is greater than the AgNO3 at constant amount of phyllanthin extract. The size and shape of the NPs can be controlled by varying the concentration of phyllanthin extract and thereby to tune their optical properties in the near-infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum. The case of low concentration of extract with HAuCl4 offers slow reduction rate along with the aid of electron-donating group containing extract leads to formation of hexagonal- or triangular-shaped gold NPs. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis revealed that the shape changes on the gold NPs from hexagonal to spherical particles with increasing initial concentration of phyllanthin extract. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analyses reveal that the interaction between NPs and phyllanthin extract. The cyclic voltammograms of silver and gold NPs confirms the conversion of higher oxidation state to zero oxidation state.

Graphical abstract

Anisotropic gold and silver nanoparticles were synthesized by a simple procedure using phyllanthin extract as reducing agent. The rate of bioreduction of AgNO3 is lower than the HAuCl4 at constant concentration of phyllanthin extract. The required size of the nanoparticles can be prepared by varying the concentration of phyllanthin with AgNO3 and HAuCl4.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Scheme 1
Fig. 10

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ankamwar B, Chaudhary M, Sastry M (2005) Gold Nanotriangles biologically synthesized using tamarind leaf extract and potential application in vapor sensing. Synth React Inorg Met Org Nanomet Chem 35:19–26

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chandran SP, Chaudhary M, Pasricha R, Ahmad A, Sastry M (2006) Synthesis of gold nanotriangles and silver nanoparticles using Aloe vera plant extract. Biotechnol Prog 22:577–583

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • EI-Sayed MA (2001) Facile synthesis of micrometer-sized gold nanoplates through an aniline-assisted route in ethylene glycol solution. Acc Chem Res 34:257–264

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gardea-Torresdey JL, Parsons JG, Gomez E, Peralta-Viddea J, Troiani HE, Santiago P, Jose Yacaman M (2002) Formation and growth of Au nanoparticles inside live Alfalfa plants. Nano Lett 2:397–401

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gericke M, Pinches A (2006) Biological synthesis of metal nanoparticles. Hydrometallurgy 83:132–140

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Germain V, Li J, Ingert D, Wang Z, Pileni MP (2003) Stacking faults in formation of silver nanodisks. J Phys Chem B 107:8717–8720

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gomez-Romero P (2001) Hybrid organic-inorganic materials—in search of synergic activity. Adv Mater 13:163–174

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gracias DH, Tien J, Breen T, Hsu C, Whitesides GM (2002) Forming electrical networks in three dimensions by self-assembly. Science 289:1170–1172

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Harris AT, Bali R (2008) On the formation and extent of uptake of silver nanoparticles by live plants. J Nanopart Res 10:691–695

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kamat PV (2002) Photophysical, photochemical and photocatalytic aspects of metal nanoparticles. J Phys Chem B 106:7729–7744

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Klaus T, Joerger R, Olsson E, Granqvist C (1999) The synthesis of metallic nanoparticles inside live plants. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 96:13611–13614

    Article  PubMed  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lengke MF, Fleet ME, Southam G (2006) Morphology of gold nanoparticles synthesized by filamentous cyanobacteria from gold(I)-thiosulfate and gold(III)-chloride complexes. Langmuir 22:2780–2787

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lim JK, Kim Y, Lee SY, Joo SW (2008) Spectroscopic analysis of L-histidine adsorbed on gold and silver nanoparticle surfaces investigated by surface-enhanced Raman scattering. Spectrochim Acta A 69:286–289

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lin Z, Wu J, Xue R, Yang Y (2005) Spectroscopic characterisation of Au3+ biosorption by waste biomass of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Spectrochim Acta A 61:761–765

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Link S, Mohamed MB, EI-Sayed MA (1999) Simulation of the optical absorption spectra of gold nanorods as a function of their aspect ratio and the effect of the medium dielectric constant. J Phys Chem B 103:3073–3077

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ma H, Yin B, Wang S, Jiao Y, Pan W, Huang S, Chem S, Meng F (2004) Synthesis of silver and gold nanoparticles by a novel electrochemical method. ChemPhysChem 5:68–75

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Malikova N, Pastoriza-Santos I, Schierhorn M, Kotov NA, Liz-Marzan LM (2002) Layer-by-layer assembled mixed spherical and planar gold nanoparticles: control of interparticle interactions. Langmuir 18:3694–3697

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mirkin CA, Letsinger RL, Mucic RC, Storhoff JJ (1996) A DNA-based method for rationally assembling nanoparticles into macroscopic materials. Nature 382:607–609

    Article  PubMed  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mukherjee P, Senapati S, Mandal D, Ahmad A, Khan MI, Kumar R, Sastry M (2001a) Bioreduction of AuCl4 − ions by the fungus, Verticillium sp. and surface trapping of the gold nanoparticles formed. Angew Chem Int Ed 40:3585–3588

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mukherjee P, Senapati S, Mandal D, Ahmad A, Khan MI, Kumar R, Sastry M (2001b) Fungus-mediated synthesis of silver nanoparticles and their immobilization in the mycelial matrix: a novel biological approach to nanoparticle synthesis. Nano Lett 1:515–519

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Narayanan R, EI-Sayed MA (2004) Shape-dependent catalytic activity of platinum nanoparticles in colloidal solution. Nano Lett 4:1343–1348

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Newman JDS, Blanchard GJ (2006) Formation of Gold nanoparticles using amine reducing agents. Langmuir 22:5882–5887

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Qiu H, Rieger B, Gilbert R, Jerome C (2004) PLA-coated gold nanoparticles for the labeling of PLA biocarriers. Chem Mater 16:850–856

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rajakannan V, Sripathi MS, Selvanayagam S, Velmurugan D, Uma DM, Vishwas M, Thyagarajan SP, Shanmuga Sundara Raj S, Fun HK (2003) Phyllanthin from the plant Phyllanthus amarus. Acta Crystallogr E59:203–205

    Google Scholar 

  • Shahverdi Ar, Minaeian S, Shahverdi HR, Jamalifar H, Nohi AA (2007) Rapid synthesis of silver nanoparticles using culture supernatants of enterobacteria: a novel biological approach. Process Biochem 42:919–923

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shiv Shankar S, Ahmad A, Pasricha R, Sastry M (2003a) Bioreduction of chloroaurate ions by geranium leaves and its endophytic fungus yields gold nanoparticles of different shapes. J Mater Chem 13:1822–1826

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shiv Shankar S, Ahmad A, Sastry M (2003b) Geranium leaf assisted biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles. Biotechnol Prog 19:1627–1631

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Shiv Shankar S, Rai A, Ankamwar B, Singh A, Ahmad A, Sastry M (2004a) Biological synthesis of triangular gold nanoprisms. Nat Mater 3:482–488

    Article  PubMed  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Shiv Shankar S, Rai A, Ahmad A, Sastry M (2004b) Rapid synthesis of Au, Ag, and bimetallic Au core–Ag shell nanoparticles using neem (Azadirachta indica) leaf broth. J Colloid Interface Sci 275:496–502

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Venkateswaran PS, Millman I, Blumberg BS (1987) Effect of an extract from Phyllanthus niruri on hepatitis B and woodchuck hepatitis viruses: in vitro and in vivo studies. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 84:274–278

    Article  PubMed  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wiley BJ, Im SH, McLellan J, Seikkinen A, Xia Y (2006) Maneuvering the surface plasmon resonance of silver nanostructures through shape-controlled synthesis. J Phys Chem B 110:15666–15675

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, S.R.M. University, Chennai, 603 203, India

    J. Kasthuri

  2. Department of Biotechnology, University of Madras, Guindy Campus, Chennai, 600 025, Tamil Nadu, India

    K. Kathiravan

  3. Department of Polymer Science, University of Madras, Guindy Campus, Chennai, 600 025, Tamil Nadu, India

    N. Rajendiran

Authors
  1. J. Kasthuri
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. K. Kathiravan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. N. Rajendiran
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to N. Rajendiran.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kasthuri, J., Kathiravan, K. & Rajendiran, N. Phyllanthin-assisted biosynthesis of silver and gold nanoparticles: a novel biological approach. J Nanopart Res 11, 1075–1085 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-008-9494-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-008-9494-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation