Aqueous corn husk extract – mediated green synthesis of AgCl and Ag nanoparticles.

This study reports the green synthesis of silver chloride nanoparticles (AgClNPs) and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) from aqueous corn husk extracts. The effect of changes in the extract volume and the pH on the green synthesis of these nanoparticles is investigated. The formation of AgClNPs and AgNPs was monitored using a UV–vis spectrophotometer. XRD was used to characterize AgClNPs and AgNPs, and it was determined that, by varying the pH, it is possible to control the synthesis of both nanoparticles in a single pure phase. FTIR showed that the phytochemicals from the corn husks are responsible for the reduction and stabilization of the resulting particles. TEM analysis showed the formation of crystals with average sizes of 20 nm, and the SEM-EDS analysis validated the presence of silver. The synthesized nanoparticles had antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]