Biosynthesis of Silver Nanoparticles and Their Applications in Harvesting Sunlight for Solar Thermal Generation

• Published in: Nanomaterials (Basel, Switzerland) Switzerland), 2021-09, Vol.11 (9), p.2421
• Main Authors: Talabani, Rebwar Faiq, Hamad, Samir Mustafa, Barzinjy, Azeez Abdullah, Demir, Usame
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alternative energy sources; Aqueous solutions; Biosynthesis; Calorimetry; Chemical properties; Differential scanning calorimetry; Emission analysis; Environmental impact; Field emission microscopy; Flavonoids; green synthesis method; Harvesting; Hazardous materials; Infrared spectroscopy; Irradiation; Light; Light scattering; Metals; Nanomaterials; Nanoparticles; Nitrates; Optical properties; parsley; Photoelectron spectroscopy; Photoelectrons; Photon correlation spectroscopy; photothermic energy; Phytochemicals; Plant extracts; Polyphenols; Refractivity; Resonance; Scanning electron microscopy; Silver; silver nanofluid; Solar energy; Solar heating; Spectrum analysis; Stabilizers (agents); Sunlight; Surface plasmon resonance; surface plasmon resonance effect; Thermogravimetric analysis; X ray photoelectron spectroscopy; X-ray diffraction; Zeta potential
• ISSN: 2079-4991; 2079-4991
• DOI: 10.3390/nano11092421

Silver (Ag) nanoparticles (NPs) have been synthesized through an easy, inexpensive, and ecofriendly method. , parsley, leaf extract was utilized as a reducing, capping, and stabilizing agent, without using any hazardous chemical materials, for producing Ag NPs. The biosynthesized Ag NPs were characterized using different characterization techniques, namely UV-Vis, FT-IR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), dynamic light scattering (DLS), zeta potential, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), transmission electron microscope (TEM), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis to investigate the optical, thermal, structural, morphological, and chemical properties of the plant extract and the biosynthesized Ag NPs. After that, the biosynthesized Ag NPs were utilized in harvesting sunlight for solar thermal generation. Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) for the green synthesized Ag NPs with the dark color were adjusted at nearly 450 nm. Once the Ag NPs are excited at the SPR, a large amount of heat is released, which causes a change in the local refractive index surrounding the Ag NPs. The released heat from the Ag NPs under the solar irradiation at the precise wavelength of plasmon resonance significantly increased the temperature of the aqueous medium. Different percentages of Ag NPs were dispersed in water and then exposed to the sunlight to monitor the temperature of the suspension. It was found that the temperature of the aqueous medium reached its highest point when 0.3 wt. % of Ag NPs was utilized. This investigation is rare and unique, and it shows that utilizing a small amount of the biosynthesized Ag NPs can increase the temperature of the aqueous medium remarkably.