BIOSYNTHETIC PATHWAYS FOR SILVER METAL NANOPARTICLES

Silver nanoparticles are amongst the most abundantly produced nanomaterials, in large part due to their wide-spectrum antimicrobial properties and their incorporation in everyday household products. The use of plant extracts to prepare silver nanoparticles from the bioreduction of silver ions is well reported in the literature; however, a molecular understanding of the formation and stabilization of these metal nanoparticles, needed to attain nanoparticle size control and nanoparticle synthesis reproducibility, is mostly lacking, and is a focus of our research.

​

​

EXPERIMENTAL PROBES OF NOBLE METAL NANOPARTICLE FORMATION

We are investigating experimental probes of the kinetics of noble metal nanoparticle formation via surface plasmon resonance versus other, more direct, methods.

​

​

PLASMONIC METAL NANOPARTICLES AS BIOSENSORS

We are probing the strong optical sensitivity of noble metal nanoparticles via their surface plasmon resonance towards the detection of analytes and their application as biosensors.

​