The electron density of a nanoparticle is a very important characteristic of the properties of a material. This paper describes the formation of silver nanoparticles (NPs) and the variation in the electronic state of an NP’s surface upon the reduction in Ag+ ions with oxalate ions, induced by UV irradiation. The calculations were based on optical spectrophotometry data. The NPs were characterized using Transmission electron microscopy and Dynamic light scattering. As ~10 nm nanoparticles are formed, the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) band increases in intensity, decreases in width, and shifts to the UV region from 402 to 383 nm. The interband transitions (IBT) band (≤250 nm) increases in intensity, with the band shape and position remaining unchanged. The change in the shape and position of the LSPR band of silver nanoparticles in the course of their formation is attributable to an increasing concentration of free electrons in the particles as a result of a reduction in Ag+ ions on the surface and electron injection by radicals. The ζ-potential of colloids increases with an increase in electron density in silver nuclei. A quantitative relationship between this shift and electron density on the surface was derived on the basis of the Mie–Drude theory. The observed blue shift (19 nm) corresponds to an approximately 10% increase in the concentration of electrons in silver nanoparticles.

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The great attention paid to silver nanoparticles is largely related to their antibacterial and antiviral effects and their possible use as efficient biocidal agents. Silver nanoparticles are being widely introduced into various areas of life, including industry, medicine, and agriculture. This leads to their spreading and entering the environment, which generates the potential risk of toxic effect on humans and other biological organisms. Proposed paper describes the preparation of silver hydrosols containing spherical metal nanoparticles by photochemical reduction of Ag+ ions with oxalate ions. In deaerated solutions, this gives ~10 nm particles, while in aerated solutions, ~20 nm particles with inclusion of the oxide Ag2O are obtained. Nanoparticles inhibit the bacterium Escherichia coli and suppress the cell growth at concentrations of ~1 × 10−6–1 × 10−4 mol L−1. Silver particles cause the loss of pili and deformation and destruction of cell membranes. A mechanism of antibacterial action was proposed, taking into account indirect suppressing action of Ag+ ions released upon the oxidative metal dissolution and direct (contact) action of nanoparticles on bacterial cells, resulting in a change in the shape and destruction of the bacteria.

In this work, we propose a new method for determining the concentration of silver atoms in hydrosols of nanoparticles (NPs) stabilized with various capping agents. The proposed method is based on the determination of IBT absorption in the UV region (a broad band with a weakly pronounced shoulder at ~250 nm). To determine the extinction coefficient at 250 nm, we synthesized silver nanoparticles with average sizes of 5, 10, and 25 nm, respectively. The prepared nanoparticles were characterized by TEM, HRTEM, electron diffraction, XRD, DLS, and UV–Vis spectroscopy. It has been shown that the absorption characteristics of spherical NPs are not significantly influenced by the hydrosol preparation method and the type of stabilizer used. For particles with a size of 5–25 nm, the molar extinction coefficient of Ag0 atoms was found to be equal to 3500 ± 100 L mol−1 cm−1 at a wavelength of 250 nm. The results of the theoretical calculations of the molar extinction coefficients for spherical nanoparticles are in good agreement with the experimental values. ICP-MS analysis confirmed the applicability of this method in the concentration range of 5 × 10−7–1 × 10−4 mol L−1.

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