Green biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles from an actinobacteria Rhodococcus sp.

The biosynthesis of nanoparticles has been proposed as a cost effective environmental friendly alternative to chemical and physical methods. Microbial synthesis of nanoparticles is a green chemistry approach that interconnects nanotechnology and microbial biotechnology. In this present study, synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) has been demonstrated using a metabolically versatile actinobacteria Rhodococcus sp. by reducing aqueous silver nitrate. The AgNPs were characterized by Ultraviolet-Visible (UV-vis) Spectrometer, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray Analysis (EDAX), Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), Selected Area Diffraction Pattern (SAED) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). The TEM showed spherical particles with an average size of 10 nm. The SAED pattern showed the characteristic Bragg peaks of (111), (200), (220) and (311) facets of the face centered cubic (fcc) silver nanoparticles and confirmed that these nanoparticles are crystalline in nature. The synthesis of AgNPs is a biosynthesis process where cell enzyme systems of Rhodococcus sp. may take part in synthesis process. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.