Nanocomposite egg shell powder with in situ generated silver nanoparticles using inherent collagen as reducing agent

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were in situ generated in poultry hen egg shell powder (ESP) by one step thermal assisted method using the inherently present collagen as a reducing agent. The nanocomposite egg shell powder (NCESP) with in situ generated silver nanoparticles was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and antibacterial tests. The prepared NCESP had the spherical AgNPs in the size range of 50–120 nm with most of them from 81 nm to 90 nm. Further, the average size of the AgNPs generated in the NCESP was 88 nm. The X-ray analysis indicated the presence of both AgNPs and AgO nanoparticles (AgONPs) in the NCESP. The possible mechanism of generation of AgNPs and AgONPs in the NCESP was also proposed. The thermal stability of the NCESP was found to be higher than that of the ESP. The NCESP exhibited excellent antibacterial activity against both the Gram negative and positive bacteria. The NCESP made from poultry waste ESP can be utilized as a low-cost antibacterial cleaning powder for house ware and also as low-cost antibacterial filler in polymer matrices to make antibacterial hybrid nanocomposites.