Nucleation of Silver Nanoparticles On Poly(styrene sulfonic acid) in Aqueous Environments

Nucleation of silver nanoparticles on poly(styrene sulfonic acid) in aqueous environments

Authors: Paula Pacurari, Dr. Robin Hissam

Affiliation: WVU Department of Chemical Engineering

Silver nanoparticles are important because of their antimicrobial properties; however the display of particles is often dependent on the mixing of particles within a polymer matrix.  The ability to distribute silver particles evenly through a polymer matrix can be a limiting factor in producing an effective wound dressing, and we are approaching that problem using biomineralization techniques.  In this research, the effect of nucleation conditions is monitored by varying the concentrations of AgNO₃ (1 - 40 mM) , poly(styrene sulfonic acid) (0.1 – 5 mg/mL) , and NaBH₄, the reducing agent (1 – 50 mM). By changing these parameters, we obtain particles with different properties. We characterized the particles using dynamic light scattering, UV-Vis spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy.  These techniques allow us to characterize the size and shape of the nucleated silver particles. Our results show that concentrations of polymer and reducing agent impact the particle size. In particular, greater concentrations of polymer and reducing agent produce larger particles. Changing silver concentration has no measurable effect on particle size.