Batch B Experiment

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This experiment compared several batches of silver nanoparticle solutions with a control batch that included liquid silver, sodium citrate, and glucose. The λ max of each batch were compared to the positive control batch to see how its wavelength affected its absorbance. In Part B, the assigned batch's nanoparticles, in this case "Batch B", were used under 5 different conditions and compared to a negative control to see how strong, weak or non-electrolytes affect the nanoparticles. An absorbance spectrometer was used to measure the absorbance and wavelength of the nanoparticles to get the λ max. Each reagent was used to aggregate a color change with the nanoparticles noticeable to the naked eye. Without the addition of sodium citrate in …show more content…
Sodium citrate is a partial reducing agent. Without the addition of glucose in Batch C, the nanoparticles turned more of a pale yellow color due to the same reason in Batch B because glucose, too, is a reducing agent. With the addition of 0.025 g of soluble starch into the silver nitrate solution, the reagent was a deep yellow, or a gold color. The starch stabilized the nanoparticles so that the color was very visible. All nanoparticles aggregated to at least one reagent provided. Batch D would be most supportive of creating 20 nm nanoparticles meaning that the λ max is around 401 nm. Batch D includes all the reagents, glucose and sodium citrate in silver nitrate, plus the addition of 0.025 g of soluble starch. To test silver nanoparticles as an anti-bacterial agent, one could test the application of the nanoparticles on a known bacteria and use an anti-bacterial treatment, like Penicillin, as the positive control and distilled water as a negative control. To do this they would need three plates of agar with E.coli on each plate. On plate #1 would be the bacteria and silver nanoparticles. To make the nanoparticles, one would have to mix and boil silver nitrate, a small amount of glucose, a small amount of sodium citrate, and distilled water until it is a