Abstract:Stable silver nanoparticles were synthesized using polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as reducing and capping agent. The method of steric stabilization was adopted for the incorporation of silver nanoparticles in the polymer matrix. The successful incorporation of silver nanoparticles in a PVA matrix was confirmed by UV–Visible spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. The synthesized silver nanoparticles were characterized by a peak at 426 nm in the UV–Vis spectrum. TEM studies showed the formation of spherical shaped silver nanoparticles of 10-13 nm, following the reduction by UV irradiation. Catalytic properties were studied by means of UV-Visible spectroscopic analysis. The synthesized silver nanoparticles exhibited good catalytic properties in the reduction of methylene blue.

Key words: PVA supported silver nanoparticles; dye degradation; reduction of methylene blue; catalytic reduction