In this paper,the silver nanoparticles were prepared through green chemical reduction of silver sulfate in the liquid phase using vitamin E(VE) as a reducing agent,and starch as a stabilizer.Yellow silver nanoparticles with different sizes were obtained by changing pH value of solution and reaction time.The silver nanoparticles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy(TEM),Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FT-IR),ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy(UV-vis),scanning electron microscopy(SEM) and electrochemical method.The results indicated that VE molecules in the solution were oxidized to benzoquinone,and the synthesized silver nanoparticles were spherical with a diameter range of 8-25 nm.And in strong alkaline condition,the silver nanoparticles were smaller,distributing more uniformly with an average diameter of about 10 nm.The strong absorption bands at 417,411,409,408 nm appeared in the UV-vis spectra for different silver particle solutions,which could attribute to the excitation of surface plasmons in the nanoparticles.The silver nanoparticles also exhibited excellent electrochemical property and good electrocatalytic activity for the electrochemical behavior of L-cysteine.