Lb 550 dls nanoparticle size analyzer

Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) bands of the synthesized SmAgNPs were characterized using a Cary 60 UV–Vis spectrophotometer (Agilent Technologies), within the range of 300 to 800nm. The elemental analysis was obtained by scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive x-ray spectrometry (SEM-EDX) which was performed on a FEG-SEM chamber using a Bruker X-Flash 6|30 detector, with a 123 eV resolution at Mn Kα. The morphological analysis was elaborated using a Tescan Mira 3 microscope equipped with a Schottky Field Emission Gun (Schottky FEG-SEM) which reaches a resolution of 1.2 nm at 30 keV. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) micrographs were obtained using a Tecnai G20 Spirit Twin from (FEI). Dynamic light Scattering (DLS) measurements for determining the average size and size distribution of the silver nanoparticles were carried out using the LB-550 DLS Nanoparticle Size Analyzer (Horiba). All DLS measurements were performed at a fixed temperature of 25 ºC. X-ray Diffraction (XRD) was performed using an Empyrean diffractometer from PANalytical operating in a θ-2θ configuration (Bragg-Brentano geometry) and equipped with a Cu X-ray tube (Kα radiation λ = 1.54056 Å) operating at 40 kV and 40 mV.

The formation of the silver nanoparticles was monitored using UV-Vis spectroscopy. The optical absorption spectra of the Ag-NPs in solution was measured through a spectrophotometer (Analytik Jena SPECORD S 600, DE, using the WinASPECT software). To determine the hydrodynamic diameter distribution of the Ag-NPs, a Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) analysis was carried out with the filtered samples (0.2 μm filter), using the LB-550 DLS Nanoparticle Size Analyzer (HORIBA, JP). All DLS measurements were performed at a 25 °C fixed temperature. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns were collected on an EMPYREAN diffractometer (PANalytical, NL) in Bragg-Brentano configuration at 40 kV and 45 A and monochromatic X-rays of Cu K-α wavelength (λ = 1.541 Å). The analysis was performed from filtered samples, which were previously centrifuged 10 minutes at 10000 rpm, and letting them dry on a microscope slide on a hot plate at 60°C. To analyze the size and morphology of the synthesized Ag-NPs of the filtered samples, images were taken by Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope (STEM), MIRA 3 Field-Emission Gun SEM (Tescan CZ) and Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM), Tecnai G20 Spirit Twin (FEI, NL). The images were analyzed by a software published in [45 ].