One pot synthesis of silver nanoparticles using a cyclodextrin containing polymer as reductant and stabilizer

A facile and one pot synthesis of silver nanoparticles with narrow size distributions using silver nitrate and a copolymer 1 from N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) and mono-(1H-triazolylmethyl)-2-methylacryl-β-cyclodextrin acting as reductant and stabilizer without using any additional reducing agent is reported. The reduction was carried out in aqueous solution under pH neutral conditions at room temperature. The results of dynamic light scattering analysis and transmission electron microscopy show adjustable particle sizes from 30–100 nm, due to variation of silver nitrate concentration, the polymeric reducing and stabilisation agent concentration or reaction time. The spherical structure of the silver nanoparticles has been confirmed by UV–vis spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The optical properties of the nanoparticles have also been characterized by fluorescence spectroscopy. The formed spherical particles are stable in aqueous medium at room temperature over a period of several weeks. Furthermore the changes in the optical properties of the nanoparticles due to thermo induced volume phase transition behavior of the thermoresponsive cyclodextrin containing polymer 1 have been characterized by UV–vis spectroscopy.