5-Amino uracil activated silver nano resonators for highly selective visual detection of dopamine and as an agonist towards BAP: Promoting shoot growth in Bacopa monnieri L.

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) with an average size of about 17.5 nm have been synthesized using 5-amino uracil as a reducing and capping agent. The concentration of these AgNPs was worked out to be 48 nM. These AgNPs served as a highly selective optical sensor against an important neurotransmitter like dopamine (DA) at its nano molar level (94 nM) with the linearity range of 1-5 mu M. The quantification of DA in one of its injection sample was also achieved with a recovery of 91 %. Studies like FTIR, UV-Vis, XPS, SEM, TEM, EDX, DLS and Zeta potential measurements have supported our findings. Significant amplification in the Raman signal of DA was also observed upon its addition into as prepared AgNPs solution. Moreover, these AgNPs seemed to augment the activity of cytokinin (BAP) in synergistic fashion and enhanced in vitro high frequency shoots regeneration in B. monnieri L. and also led to increment in its antioxidant metabolite contents like phenol and flavonoid.