Light-Regulatory Effect on the Phytosynthesis of Silver Nanoparticles Using Aqueous Extract of Garlic (Allium sativum) and Onion (Allium cepa) Bulb

Green synthesis emerged as an exciting approach in the field of nanotechnology. Biogenesis of nanosilver is simple, eco-friendly, safe and cost-efficacious and therefore gaining impetus nowadays. An effort has been made to understand the possible induced mechanism for the biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles by exposing a mixture of 1 mM AgNO₃ with aqueous extracts of garlic (Allium sativum) and onion (Allium cepa) under light and dark conditions. In the synthesis of silver nanoparticles, components of garlic and onion bulb extract served both as capping and reducing agents, whereas the light acted as catalyst. Green synthesized silver nanoparticles were quantified spectrophotometrically at different time intervals. Scanning electron microscopy confirmed that biosynthesized nanoparticles were polydispersed, spherical in shape and under the size range of 100 nm. Light proved to be an stimulating factor in the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles which may vary from species to species.