Determining Which Method of Synthesizing Silver Nanoparticles is Most Effective in Inhibiting the Growth of Escherichia coli
The objective of this experiment was to determine which method of synthesizing silver nanoparticles, green or chemical, would be most effective in preventing microbial growth. The synthesis of silver nanoparticles is beginning to play a greater role in nanomedicine due to their potential microbial properties toward pathogenic microbes, especially in a time where antibacterial resistance is prevalent. Through experimentation, silver nanoparticles were created using two different methods: green synthesis, using Camellia sinensis (green tea leaf extract) as a reducing and capping agent, and chemical synthesis, using trisodium citrate dihydrate, Na3C6H5O7 ยท 2H2O as a reducing and capping agent. The antimicrobial properties of the two differently synthesized nanoparticles were tested against the growth of Escherichia coli. The growth of the E. coli was determined by measuring the percentage of growth of bacteria in each Petri dish to determine which synthesized silver nanoparticles were a more effective inhibiting agent. Using descriptive statistics, it was clear that the green synthesized silver nanoparticles were significantly more effective than the chemically synthesized silver nanoparticles. This was due to their stability when they were being synthesized as the green synthesized silver nanoparticles produced smaller and more triangular particles. This was also in accordance with the hypothesis which stated that the green synthesized silver nanoparticles would most effectively inhibit the growth of the E. coli.
Research Conducted By:
Veronica Marougail
Sterling Heights High School
Frosilda Pushani
Sterling Heights High School
Warren Consolidated Schools