This investigation was undertaken to describe a natural process for the removal of silver and the simultaneous recovery of Ag/Ag2O nanoparticles by dead biomass of the yeast Rhodotorula mucilaginosa. The removal of silver ions from aqueous solution and the synthesis of Ag/Ag2O nanoparticles were analyzed based on physicochemical factors and equilibrium concentration, combined with transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). A successful process for the synthesis of Ag/Ag2O nanoparticles was obtained, following the Langmuir isotherm model, showing a high biosorption capacity of silver (49.0 mg g-1). The nanoparticles were spherical, had an average size of 11.0 nm, were synthesized intracellularly and capped by yeast proteins. This sustainable protocol is an attractive platform for the industrial-scale production of silver nanoparticles and of a silver nanobiosorbent.
Keywords: Bioremediation; Rhodotorula mucilaginosa; biosynthesis; dead biomass; intracellular; metal mine; nanoparticles; silver; yeast.