Use of sericin of <i>Bombyx mori</i> in the synthesis of silver nanoparticles, their characterization and application

Abstract

Silver nanoparticles have been synthesized by the reduction of silver nitrate with sodium borohydride in an aqueous medium. The silk protein sericin, extracted from the cocoons of <i style="">Bombyx mori</i> silkworms, has been used as an effective capping agent. The stability of the colloidal suspension is confirmed by zeta potential measurement. The nanoparticles have been characterized by UV-vis spectroscopy, SEM and TEM analyses. They are found to be fairly spherical particles of average size 15nm. These particles also exhibit antimicrobial properties when applied onto silk fabric without significantly changing the colour of the fabric.