Evaluation of the Reducing Potential of Abies nordmanniana subsp. equi-trojeni Extract for Silver Particle Synthesis

This study evaluates the reducing potential of leaf extracts from the endemic species Abies nordmanniana subsp. equi-trojeni for the green synthesis of silver particles. The synthesis involved reacting a 1 mM silver nitrate (AgNO₃) solution with the plant extract at room temperature. We characterized both the reaction products and the supernatant using FTIR, UV-Vis, and SEM techniques. Our data confirm that phenolic compounds within the extract were actively consumed during the reduction of Ag⁺ ions. Interestingly, SEM analysis revealed that the synthesized particles exhibited micrometer-scale dimensions rather than the expected nanoscale dispersion. We attribute this micro-structure formation to the high reducing power and concentration of the extract, which likely drove rapid nucleation followed by immediate agglomeration. These findings confirm the strong reductive capacity of Abies nordmanniana subsp. equi-trojeni and suggest that future protocol optimization—particularly regarding pH and concentration control—is necessary to fine-tune particle size from the micro- to the nanoscale.