COMPARISON OF SELF-ORGANIZATION PROCESSES IN AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS OF L-CYSTEINE AND N-ACETYL-L-CYSTEINE WITH SILVER NITRITE
Using the methods of UV spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) in aqueous solutions of L-cysteine and N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) add silver nitrite (AgNO<sub>2</sub>) at different concentration from 0.001 to 0.025 M the processes of self-organization leading to the formation of a hydrogel have studied in various ratios of the initial components. It has found that for solutions based on L-cysteine and AgNO<sub>2</sub> (cysteine-silver solution - CSS) with a concentration of initial components of 0.025 M form stable hydrogels containing silver nanoparticles (SNPs). At the same time, solutions based on NAC and AgNO<sub>2</sub> are unable to form gels and SNPs. The regularities and conditions influencing the process of gel formation have been determined, which made it possible to propose a mechanism of gelation in the CSS.