2020-2021 Faculty Research Grants

Getahun Merga (Chemistry)

Rapid Green Synthesis of “Naked” Silver and Gold Nanoparticles and Their Characterization and Aantimicrobial Study

Noble metal Nanoparticles (NPs) have greatly attracted researchers for the last three decades because of their unique properties, owing to their small size (1–100 nm), and large surface-to-volume ratio and increased various noble reactivity. Further, “Green Chemistry,” chemical approach has recently directing great scientific interest in the directions of environmentally sustainable process at the total elimination or the minimization of generated chemical wastes. The chemical approach to this process is referred to us as “Green Chemistry.”  There is, in particular, a growing demand to develop rapid synthesis, environmentally friendly and sustainable methods for the synthesis of nanoparticles that utilize nontoxic chemicals, environmentally benign solvents, and renewable materials to avoid their adverse effects. This project is an expansion of the work we have been doing by introducing rapid and new technique in synthesizing naked silver nanoparticles by searching for a process that will produce environmentally friendly nanoparticles.