Bio-conjugated silver nanoparticles: from Ocimum sanctum and role of cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide.

In this paper we have reported the spectrophotometeric and transmission electron microscopic (TEM) data to the shape-directing role of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) on the green extra-cellular synthesis of bio-conjugated Ag-nanoparticles using Ocimum sanctum leaves extract. TEM images revealed that the nanoparticles are mostly spherical (average particle size ranged from 18 to 35nm) with some truncated triangular nanoplates, aggregated in a beautiful manner to yield locket-like silver and capped by a thin layer of biomolecules of O. sanctum, whereas nanoparticles are highly poly-dispersed in presence of CTAB. The shape and position of wavelength maxima strongly depends on the reaction time, [leaves extract] and [CTAB]. The visual observations also suggest that the prefect transparent silver sol becomes turbid in presence of CTAB after some time.