<i>Lactobacillus</i> Mediated Synthesis of Silver Oxide Nanoparticles

The ability of prokaryotic microorganisms to reduce the inorganic metals has opened up an exciting eco-friendly approach towards the development of natural ‘nano-factories’. However, a number of issues have to be addressed from the nanotechnological and microbiological point of view before such a biosynthesis approach can compete with the existing physical and chemical methods. This report investigates the synthesis of silver oxide nanoparticles using Lactobacillus mindensis, isolated using fixer solution from an X-ray photographic laboratory. Nanoparticles obtained were characterized by means of UV-vis spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The UV-vis spectrum shows the absorbance maximum at 430 nm, which is a characteristic of surface plasmon resonance of silver. Further, the presence of stable nanoparticles in the range of 2–20 nm was determined using TEM analysis. Silver nanoparticles in the form of silver oxide were confirmed in the XRD study. In conclusion, Lactobacillus mindensis serves as a promising candidate in the quest to synthesize silver oxide nanoparticles through green chemistry.