Hyderabad: A team of researchers from Hyderabad, Bangkok, Chennai and Warangal has developed silver nanoparticles using a room-temperature, eco-friendly method that can both degrade industrial dyes under visible light and serve as a conductive ink for printed electronic circuits, according to a study published in Scientific Reports.Titled metal-displacement-derived silver nanoparticles for visible-light catalysis and TENG-enabled circuit integration, the study was led by Chenna Reddy Mallu of the Department of Chemistry, Geethanjali College of Engineering and Technology, Hyderabad. The research team included Manikandan Dhayalan of Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok; Govindhasamy Murugadoss of Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai; and Khanapuram Uday Kumar of the National Institute of Technology, Warangal.Room-temperature methodThe researchers said one of the main challenges in silver nanoparticle research is developing a method that is quick, scalable and environmentally friendly, while also producing stable particles suitable for multiple applications. To address this, the team proposed a synthesis route based on a metal-displacement process that forms uniformly dispersed, oxidation-resistant silver nanoparticles at room temperature.In this method, magnesium was used as a sacrificial reductant, while tartaric acid acted as both a reducing agent and a capping agent. The researchers said this magnesium–tartrate dual-agent approach enabled rapid nucleation and growth at room temperature without the use of harsh chemicals. The process yielded silver nanoparticles in the 25–50 nm range.The study said the synthesised particles were characterised through structural, optical and surface analyses, which confirmed the formation of pure metallic Ag⁰ nanoparticles. Their stability, the researchers said, was linked to tartrate chelation.Breaking down industrial dyesThe silver nanoparticles showed photocatalytic activity against two industrial dyes tested under visible light. The study reported 91.6% degradation of Acid Yellow and 89.4% degradation of Rose Bengal within 180 minutes. The degradation followed first-order kinetics.The findings indicate that the material could have potential in treating dye-polluted wastewater. The study places this application in the context of environmental remediation, showing that the nanoparticles can perform under visible light while being produced through a room-temperature process.Printed tracks & self-powered LEDsBeyond dye degradation, the researchers also formulated the silver nanoparticles into a conductive ink capable of producing low-resistance printed tracks. These printed pathways were then used to deliver the output of a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) directly to LEDs.Using the Ag-ink-printed tracks, the team demonstrated self-powered illumination of 240 LEDs. The study said this showed that the same nanoparticle system could be used not only for environmental applications but also for next-generation printed electronics.MSID:: 130090360 413 |
