# Sustainable Lavender Extract-Mediated Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles and Their Use in Fabricating Antibacterial Polymer Nanocomposites

## TL;DR

This study uses lavender extract to create silver nanoparticles and incorporates them into polymer materials to make antibacterial nanocomposites for biomedical and food packaging uses.

## Contribution

A sustainable method for synthesizing silver nanoparticles using lavender extract and their application in antibacterial polymer nanocomposites is presented.

## Key findings

- Lavender extract effectively reduces and stabilizes silver nanoparticles, with over 70% below 20 nm in diameter.
- AgNPs incorporated into PVA showed strong antibacterial activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.
- Nanofibers performed better as antibacterial materials compared to thin films.

## Abstract

This study focuses on the development of antibacterial polymer nanocomposites based on biologically synthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as the polymer matrix. Silver nanoparticles were produced using an aqueous extract from dried Lavandula angustifolia (lavender) leaves, which proved to be highly effective in reducing silver ions and stabilizing the resulting nanoparticles. The synthesized AgNPs were characterized by FTIR, UV-Vis, TEM, SEM, and DLS analyses. The nanoparticles were predominantly spherical, with more than 70% having diameters below 20 nm. Subsequently, AgNPs were incorporated into the PVA matrix via an ex situ approach to fabricate nanocomposite fibers and thin films. SEM analysis confirmed successful incorporation and uniform distribution of AgNPs within the polymer structures. The nanocomposites exhibited pronounced antibacterial activity against both Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus haemolyticus, Streptococcus uberis) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa) bacteria, with nanofibers demonstrating superior performance compared to thin films. These findings highlight the potential of lavender-extract-mediated AgNPs as sustainable functional fillers for the fabrication of eco-friendly antibacterial materials applicable in biomedical and food packaging fields.