Synthesis of silver nanoparticles using Bombyx mori silk fibroin and antibacterial activity

In the present work, the stable silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were produced in situ in the presence of white light, using aqueous silk fibroin (SF) acquired from Bombyx mori silk. The UV-Visible spectral study explained the production of AgNPs by displaying a distinctive surface plasmon resonance band (SPR) at the wavelength 424 nm. The crystalline nature of the produced AgNPs have been identified using XRD study. Nanocrystalline phase of silver (Ag) with face centered cubic (FCC) structure was observed by XRD. The shape evolution and size of the formed nanoparticles was studied using transmission electron microscope. The captured images shown the formed particle were spherical in shape in morphology, and diameter in the range 35 to 40 nm. In the application part, an attempt was made to evaluate the potential antibacterial activity of the biogenic silver nanoparticles against pathogenic bacteria's such as Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus.