Antibacterial and Catalytic Performance of Green Synthesized Silver Nanoparticles Embedded in Crosslinked PVA Sheet

In this research work, a green method of using Saussurea costus extract for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) is developed. Analysis of the synthesized AgNPs showed that the hydroxyl and carbonyl functionalities of the Saussurea costus extract are playing major roles in their synthesis. X-ray diffraction revealed that the AgNP has face-centered cubic crystal structure. Field emission scanning electron microscopy suggested that the AgNP nanoparticles has a spherical shape with sizes ranging ~ 45 ± 15 nm. Furthermore, these green synthesized AgNPs were applied in the catalysis as well as biomedical fields. AgNPs were embedded in a crosslinked thin polyvinyl alcohol sheet and repeatedly used in the 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) reduction for 8 times. A high activity was observed for the Saussurea costus extract synthesized AgNP (S.C./AgNP) where the rate constant was 0.441 min. The antibacterial studies on Escherichia coli, and Acinetobacter baumannii (gram negative) and Staphylococcus aureus and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) (gram positive) bacterial strains showed a good potential of the S.C./AgNP in killing these pathogens at a concentration of 1 µg/ml.