Synthesis and antibacterial effects of aqueous colloidal solutions of silver nanoparticles using aminocellulose as a combined reducing and capping reagent

A simple, environmentally friendly and cost-effective synthetic method has been developed to prepare highly stable aqueous colloidal solutions of small (2–14 nm) silver nanoparticles using aminocellulose (AMC) as a combined reducing and capping reagent. The effects of temperature, reaction time, the concentration of silver nitrate and AMC are systematically investigated and the reaction conditions optimised. The AMC-stabilized silver nanoparticles can be deposited on the surfaces of cotton fibres and microporous cellulose acetate (CA) filters, without affecting the permeability of the filters. The AMC-stabilized aqueous silver colloidal solutions and silver nanoparticle coated CA filters and cotton fibres all show significant antibacterial action against all the bacterial isolates tested, with the antibacterial levels between “Sufficient” and “Good”, although some of solutions have been stored at room temperature for 18 months.