A novel green synthesis approach for polymer nanocomposites decorated with silver nanoparticles and their antibacterial activity

Abstract

A novel, low-cost and direct green synthesis strategy was developed for the preparation of polymer composite spheres composed of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) decorated on the polymer colloids in a raspberry-like fashion. The polymer colloids were employed as both the reductant and the substrate support. The environmentally benign reaction system consists of AgNO3, polymer spheres and an ethanol solvent, without any additional reducing agents or stabilizers. The obtained composite spheres are surprisingly stable. The size range of the formed AgNPs is from several to tens of nanometers, dependent on the reaction time, AgNO3 concentration, and the amount of polymer spheres. A four-step mechanism was proposed for the formation of AgNPs-coated polymer spheres emphasizing the role of ethanol for saturating the external surface of the polymer spheres first. These composites exhibit excellent antibacterial activity, which is dependent on both the concentration of the composite spheres and the size of coated AgNPs.

Modular Design of Advanced Catalytic Materials Using Hybrid Organic–Inorganic Raspberry Particles

“…Additionally, these colloids offer an effective route for the stabilization of inorganic NPs in dispersions . Raspberry particles have been found to be suitable for a wide range of applications, including stimuli‐responsive materials and actuators, sensors and surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) substrates, hydrophobic and hydrophilic coatings, catalysis, biochemistry, and nanoengineering of optical and magnetic resonances . However, the utilization of raspberry particles as nanocomposite templating species for fabrication of porous functional structures is largely unrealized …”

Silver nanoparticles: synthesis, properties, and therapeutic applications

“…AgNPs with unique optical, electronic, and antibacterial properties have been widely used in biosensing [1], photonics [2], electronics [3], and antimicrobial [4] applications, among others. The remarkably strong broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity of AgNPs is a major direction for the development of AgNP products, including textiles, food storage containers, antiseptic sprays, catheters, and bandages.…”

Silver Nanoparticles on Chitosan/Silica Nanofibers: Characterization and Antibacterial Activity

“…Hybrid nanocomposites are an important platform for the preparation of new materials with advanced properties [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]. Noble metal nanostructures encapsulated within or deposited on biopolymers are of particular interest for human [9,10], sensing [11,12], and catalytic applications [13][14][15][16], as these types of materials combine the physicochemical features of noble metal nanostructures and the biological features of polymers [17,18].…”