Abstract
1. Introduction
Nanotechnology involves the study of structures at 1–100 nanometres (nm) which possess novel properties and functions attributable to their small size [1]. These nanomaterials may provide solutions to technological and environmental challenges in the areas of solar energy conversion, catalysis, medicine and water treatment [1–3].
The synthesis of silver nanoparticles involves reduction of silver ions (Ag+) in aqueous solution, yielding colloidal silver with particle diameter of several nanometres [4]. Initially, the reduction of various complexes with Ag+ ions leads to the formation of silver atoms Ag(0), which is followed by agglomeration into oligomeric clusters. These clusters eventually lead to the formation of colloidal Ag particles. When the colloidal particles are much smaller than the wavelength of visible light, the solutions have a yellow colour with an intense band in the 380–400 nm range and other less intense or smaller bands at a longer wavelength in the absorption spectrum. This band is attributed to collective excitation of the electron gas in the particles, with a periodic change in electron density at the surface (surface plasmon absorption) [5].
Various physical and chemical methods to synthesize silver nanoparticles include laser ablation [6], photoinduction [7], electrochemical [8], ultrasonic-assisted [9], chemical reduction [10], microwave assisted [11] and solvothermal methods [12]. However, most of the techniques are capital intensive as well as inefficient in material and energy use. Hence, there is a growing need to adopt the principles of green chemistry to develop an environmentally benevolent biological approach.
Recently, the use of biologically mediated silver nanoparticles using green algae, fungi [13–15], bacteria [16], actinomycetes [17], and plant extracts [17,18] is gaining impetus due to their diverse properties like catalysis, optical polarizability, electrical conductivity, antimicrobial activity and Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) [18–20]. These intrinsic properties of a metal nanoparticle are mainly determined by its size, shape, composition, crystallinity and structure. Silver oxide nanoparticles are a very interesting class of metal oxides; silver being a multivalent, it forms various phases like Ag2O, AgO, Ag3O4 and Ag2O3 by interacting with oxygen [21]. Experimentally it is found that Ag2O and AgO are the most observable phases. It has also been reported that they decompose at less than 250°C [22,23]. Their thin films show semiconducting behaviour [24]. Photo-activation of silver oxide leads to nano silver clusters; these nano clusters emit fluorescence and also exhibit plasmonic behaviour responsible for surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). These properties have a wide application range from ultra high density optical memories to single molecule detection [25,26]. Ag2O being a versatile material, it has found application in oxidation catalyst, sensors, fuel cells, optical data storage systems, etcetera [27]. The present study investigates biological synthesis of silver oxide nanoparticles using
2. Material and Methods
2.1 Chemicals
Silver nitrate (AgNO3), peptone, yeast extract, beef extract, and agar were purchased from HiMedia laboratories and used as received without further treatment. All the solutions were freshly made, whereas all the microbiological media were steam sterilized by autoclaving at 15 psi at 121°C for 15 min. Nutrient broth (peptone 5 g/l, yeast extract 1.5 g/l and beef extract 1.5 g/l) of pH 7.2 was prepared without sodium chloride (unless otherwise mentioned).
2.2 Isolation of silver resistant bacteria
Isolation of silver resistant bacteria Fixer solution was collected from X-ray photographic laboratories in five sterile 10 ml syringes at various depths of the container. The sample was processed with two consecutive enrichments in nutrient broth, both containing 0.5 mM AgNO3 at 25°C for 48 hrs under static conditions. Aliquots were removed, serially diluted and spread on nutrient agar plates containing 0.5 mM AgNO3. Incubation was carried out at 25°C for 24 hrs in dark conditions. 2.3 Characterization of the isolate
The morphological and physiological characterization of the silver resistant isolate was performed according to the guidelines described in Bergey's Manual of Systematic Bacteriology. Further, PCR amplification and sequencing of 16S rRNA genes was carried out to substantiate the result. PCR amplification of 16S rDNA from cell lysates of the strains was performed using 16S rDNA specific universal oligonucleotide primers 16F27N (5‘-AGA GTT TGA TCM TGG CTC AG-3’) and 16R1488 (5‘-CGG TTA CCT TGT TAC GAC TTC ACC-3’) hybridizing respectively at positions 8–27 and 1488–1511 relative to
2.4 Biosynthesis of silver oxide nanoparticles
For inoculum development, the isolate was inoculated in 200 ml of sterile nutrient broth (pH 7.2) for 24 hrs at 25°C on an Orbitek shaker (1200 rpm). On the following day, the cells were separated and the wet biomass obtained was added to 200 ml of half-strength sterile nutrient broth (pH 8.0) containing 0.5 mM AgNO3. Wet biomass was added until the broth reached final optical density of 0.55 units at 540 nm. The reaction mixture was incubated at 25°C in dark conditions (to avoid photochemical reduction) and was routinely monitored for visual colour change as well as periodic sampling of aliquots (2 ml) of the reaction mixture being subjected to UV–vis spectroscopy analysis. In parallel, a blank and control were examined. Blank consisted of 200 ml of half-strength sterile nutrient broth (pH 8.0) containing 0.5 mM AgNO3, whereas control consisted of 200 ml of half-strength sterile nutrient broth (pH 8.0) containing 0.5 mM AgNO3, to which heat-killed cells were added until the same optical density was attained in both test and control.
2.5 UV-vis spectral analysis
All the UV-vis spectroscopy measurements were performed on a ‘Genesis-8’, spectrophotometer operated at ambient temperature in solution form. The samples were analysed from 200 to 500 nm.
2.6 Transmission electron microscopy
Estimation of the size, shape and state of assembly of the metal nanoparticles was done using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The sample was prepared by placing a drop of the nanoparticle solution onto a carbon-coated copper TEM grid. The sample was then dried under an infrared lamp for a period of 45 min. TEM measurements were performed on a ‘Philips CM200’ instrument operated at an accelerating voltage of 120 kV. The electron diffraction pattern was also recorded for the selected area. The images were analysed using Image J software and average particle size of nanoparticles was calculated. (http://rsbweb.nih.gov/ij/download.html)
2.7 X-ray diffraction
The powder obtained after drying of nanoparticles containing solution at 60°C was subjected to X-ray diffraction study. X-ray diffraction analysis was carried out using Philips X'Pert. Powder X-ray diffraction technique was used to determine phase purity, crystal structure and to roughly estimate the size of the nanocrystallites. X-ray diffraction patterns were obtained with a diffraction mode instrument using monochromatic high intensity CuKα radiation (Lambda λ=1.54060 A0). The average crystallite size of the nanoparticles was calculated from the XRD pattern using the Deby-Seherrer formula.
3. Results and Discussion
Silver resistant bacterial species obtained from fixer solution of an X-ray photographic laboratory were screened for the ability to produce silver nanoparticles. The isolate which gave an early onset of silver nanoparticles was identified to be of
The production of silver nanoparticles was achieved by challenging aqueous silver ions with biomass of

Biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles observation. Test: Live cells after exposure to AgNO3 solution in nutrient broth (brown colour); Blank: AgNO3 in nutrient broth without cells (no colour change); Control: Heat-killed cells after exposure to AgNO3 solution in nutrient broth (no colour change).
Preliminary characterization was carried out using UV-vis spectrophotometer. UV-vis spectra (Figure 2) obtained after treating 0.5 mM AgNO3 with a pellet of

UV-vis spectra recorded as a function of time of reaction of biomass with 0.5 mM AgNO3. The maximum absorbance obtained was at 430 nm, while an additional peak at 370 nm was due to out-of-plane quadrupole plasmon resonance.
The results obtained are in accordance with previous studies of biologically synthesized silver nanoparticles using
According to Mie's theory, small spherical nanocrystals should exhibit a single surface plasmon band, whereas anisotropic particles should exhibit two or three bands, depending on their shape. Absorption spectra of larger metal colloidal dispersions can exhibit broad or additional bands in the UV-vis range due to excitation of plasmon resonances or quadrupole and higher multiple plasmon excitation [36]. The UV-vis spectra from this work showed a distinct quadrupole plasmon resonance of silver nanoparticles at 370 nm. The peak at 370 nm may be due to out-of-plane quadrupole resonance for the silver nanoparticles, reflecting a blue shift.
As the time elapses (seventh day of incubation), there is decrease in the surface plasmon absorption of silver nanoparticles (Figure 2), indicating simultaneous build-up of oxidized species of silver in the solution, visible in the form of greyish-black precipitate. Larger aggregrates were avoided by centrifuging the culture filtrate followed by heating in a boiling water bath at 100°C for 10 mins. The solution was then cooled and preserved in dark conditions. This solution was found to be stable for a period of two months.
Particle sizes of silver oxide nanoparticles from X-ray diffraction and TEM measurements. Standard Error (SE) for particle size in TEM and XRD is 2.79 and 3.85 respectively.
The TEM images show some variability in shape and size as well as slight signs of aggregation (Figures 3a-e). The morphology of nanoparticles is variable, spherical form being dominant with respect to the few triangular particles also present. In the higher magnification image [Figures 3d and 3e], biogenic nanoparticles of 2–20 nm size were also observed. However, the average size of the nanoparticles was found to be 32.5 nm. This small size may be due to different cell growth and metal incubation conditions. The selected area electron diffraction pattern [Figure 3f] confirms the plane (111) of silver oxide nanoparticles and thus the nanoparticles formed are crystalline in nature. These results compare well with the previous observations reported in the studies of silver nanoparticles on

TEM images of silver nanoparticles synthesized by
The X-ray diffraction (Figure 4) shows two intense peaks at 27.94 and 32.27, which corresponds to (110) and (111) of Ag2O. Apart from this, diffraction peaks at 46.34, 54.92 and 67.48 can be indexed to (211), (220) and (222) planes of face-centre cubic silver, respectively. These peaks corroborate with the standard Ag2O (JCPDS 76-1393) [38–39]. Three unknown peaks, 57.58, 74.62 and 76.86, were also observed, which may correspond to bacterial pellet.

X- ray diffraction pattern of silver oxide nanoparticles. The samples were harvested on the fifth day. Cell filtrate was heated at 60°C to obtain powder and the X-ray diffraction pattern was observed
The discrepancy regarding the difference in the diameter between the value determined from the XRD patterns and the one from TEM observations is unavoidable, as it is associated with the limitations coming from the use of Deby-Seherrer formula, which is applicable to particles of near-spherical shape.
Previous observations show that
4. Conclusion
Silver oxide nanoparticles in the range of 2–20 nm were synthesized using
