Abstract

This work investigated the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles using Moringa oleifera oil as a capping agent and its antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli. The samples were characterized using Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-vis), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Raman spectroscopy. UV-vis spectroscopy showed a surface plasmon resonance band at 420 nm related to the formation of silver nanoparticles. Fourier transform infrared analysis shows the functionalization of the silver nanoparticles with M. oleifera oil. The bioactive compounds in M. oleifera oil play a dual role by reducing the silver ions and stabilizing the resulting nanoparticles, forming both 30 nm and of 5 nm nanoparticles. Raman spectroscopy reveals the interaction of the nanoparticles with the M. oleifera oil by a Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) effect. The agar diffusion method was used to study the antibacterial efficacy of the nanoparticles with M. oleifera, revealing an effective antibacterial activity against E. coli combined with an interesting SERS effect that could be applied in the biomedical field.