Green synthesis and characterization of silver nanoparticles using grape stalk extract

[Display omitted] •The synthesis of silver nanoparticles using the grape stalk extract of the Quebranta variety from Vitis vinifera is reported for the first time.•The presence of visible light promotes the synthesis of stable and monodisperse silver nanoparticles.•The mechanism behind the synthesis of silver nanoparticles is thoroughly described.•The effects of reaction time, temperature, pH, lighting conditions, and other factors on the physicochemical properties of silver nanoparticles were studied. The interest in nanoparticle synthesis has grown considerably due to their versatile applicability in different areas and for a wide range of purposes. This interest has also been spurred by the current demands for the development of eco-friendly methods. Using eco-friendly methods to synthesize nanoparticles offers a number of advantages from the environmental and sustainability viewpoints and allows one to devise effective protocols that can be implemented on an industrial scale without affecting the quality and properties of the synthesized nanoparticles. This work reports, for the first time, the development and application of an environmentally friendly protocol for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNps) using Vitis vinifera grape stalk extract (GSE) of the Quebranta variety as reducing and stabilizing agent. The results obtained from the study showed that the morphology and size of the AgNps are influenced by different reaction conditions including the ratio of precursor salt and GSE, reaction time, temperature, pH, and lighting. The growth of the AgNps was closely monitored by surface plasmon resonance in the UV–visible range. The AgNps were characterized by dynamic light scattering, electron microscopy, UV–vis and infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray Diffraction techniques. The characterization of the GSE using UV–vis and infrared spectroscopy along with liquid chromatography enabled us to propose a mechanism for AgNps synthesis. This study allowed us to devise an effective eco-friendly synthesis protocol which involved the careful control of the reaction conditions, where the application of the proposed method resulted in the production of stable and high quality AgNps.