Large-scale synthesis and antibacterial activity of fungal-derived silver nanoparticles

There is a demand for environmentally friendly processes to synthesize nanoparticles. Here, we synthesized silver nanoparticles using encapsulated biomass beads of Phoma exigua var. exigua. Nanoparticles were characterized by nanoparticle tracking and analysis (NTA), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and zeta potential. Results of NTA show that nanoparticle size was homogenous. Concerning nanoparticle stability, zeta potential decreased with batch number. Silver nanoparticles exhibited an antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Overall, the encapsulation of fungal biomass by calcium alginate for the batch synthesis of silver nanoparticles was easy, cost-effective, eco-friendly and suitable for the large-scale synthesis of silver nanoparticles. We have also demonstrated the reusability of the fungal biomass during biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles using the sodium alginate encapsulation method.