Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles Using Extracts of Calotropis Gigantean Flowers

INTRODUCTION Engineered nanomaterials have received greater attention for their positive impact in improving many sectors of economy, including pharmaceutics, cosmetics, transportation, energy, agriculture and environment. Nanoparticles can drastically modify their physico-chemical properties compared to the bulk material, the improvement of experimental processes for the synthesis of these nanoparticles of different sizes, shapes, and controlled dispersity is important. Several biological methods using ABSTRACT Biological synthesis of silver nanoparticles using Calotropis gigantea flower extract was investigated and the effect of flower extract in reduction mechanism and particle size is reported. The reduction of silver (Ag+) was monitored using UVvisible spectrophotometry and showed formation of silver nanoparticles with in 60mins. The formation of Ag-NPs was confirmed by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and are quite polydispersed, the size ranging from 10 nm to 50 nm. The formation of crystalline silver nanoparticles was confirmed using Xray diffraction analysis. Extracellular synthesis of Ag nanoparticles using flower extract appears to be cost effective, eco-friendly to that of conventional methods of nanoparticles synthesis.