Journal of Biotechnology & Biomaterials
Open Access

Abstract

An aqueous green approach for fabrication of copper nanoparticle using ascorbic acid and starch is reported in this work. Environmental benign solvents reducing agent and capping agent are must at present due to the increase in contamination of environment. Ascorbic acid a well known naturally occurring potent reducing agent is employed in this method of synthesis for reduction of copper salt in matrix of a biopolymer, starch. Starch is a natural polysaccharide which is biodegradable, biocompatible and has bio-adhesion property. In this work ascorbic acid and starch are used because of its easy of availability, low cost, non-toxic and benign product. Throughout the synthesis process only eco-friendly chemicals/reagents are used. Nanoparticle of copper fabricated are characterized using TEM-SAED, SEM-EDAX, UV-Visible spectroscopy and IRspectroscopy. EDAX confirmed the present of copper in the as such prepared nanomaterials. This nanoparticles show localized surface plasma resonance band at 321 nm. As revealed by TEM images, average size of the particles ranges from 2 nm-3 nm. These copper particles tend to aggregate to give a flower like shape structure it may be due to its small sized which result in high surface energy. Here starch act as stabilizing agent/capping agent by stabilizing the surface of the particles preventing it from aggregation. SAED pattern revealed the crystallinity and diffraction pattern corresponding to the Face Centered Cubic (FCC) planes (111), (200) and (220) of copper nanoparticles. Copper nanoparticles fabricated seem to play very important role in treatment/reduction of organic pollutants to a less toxic/biodegradable product. Kinetic study for the degradation of dye was carried out successfully at different temperatures.

Biography

Henam Sylvia Devi has completed her MSc from Delhi University and she is currently pursuing PhD from National Institute of Technology, India. She has two and half years of research experience working in the field of green approaches for the synthesis of nanoparticles. She has published a paper and three other papers are communicated with SCI journals.

Email: henambi411@gmail.com