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Preparation and characterization of carbopol‐silver nanocomposites for efficient antimicrobial applications
Author(s) -
Haddadine Nabila,
Chalal Samia,
Abouzeid Khaled,
Bouslah Naima,
Benaboura Ahmed,
ElShall M. Samy
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
polymers for advanced technologies
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.61
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 1099-1581
pISSN - 1042-7147
DOI - 10.1002/pat.4222
Subject(s) - nanocomposite , materials science , fourier transform infrared spectroscopy , silver nanoparticle , nuclear chemistry , scanning electron microscope , nanoparticle , photoluminescence , diffuse reflectance infrared fourier transform , chemical engineering , nanotechnology , composite material , organic chemistry , photocatalysis , chemistry , catalysis , optoelectronics , engineering
Carbopol‐silver nanocomposites, CP‐Ag‐NCs , were prepared by a chemical reducing method by using formaldehyde as a reducing agent (nanocomposite F), and formaldehyde in the presence of an alkaline medium resulting from the addition of Na 2 CO 3 (nanocomposite FC), or NaOH (nanocomposite FO) to enhance the rate of reduction of the silver ions. The UV‐visible spectra showed the appearance of bands centered around 275, 286, and 274 nm for the nanocomposites F, FC, and FO, respectively, attributed to small silver nanoparticles ( Ag‐NPs ) with an average size less than 10 nm. Other bands centered around 405 and 470 nm for the nanocomposites F and FC, respectively, were attributed to large Ag‐NPs with an average size greater than 50 nm. The absence of large Ag‐NPs in the nanocomposites FO makes them as the materials of choice for the preparation of selective ultrasmall Ag‐NPs with an average size less than 3 nm. Furthermore, photoluminescence was observed upon blue excitation of the ultrasmall colloidal Ag‐NPs . Scanning electron microscopy images showed a good dispersion of the metallic Ag‐NPs in the polymer matrix. Moreover, X‐ray diffraction patterns showed peaks corresponding to the face‐centered‐cubic of the Ag‐NPs . The nature of the interaction between carbopol and Ag‐NPs was further studied by attenuated total reflectance‐Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and the mechanism of reduction of the silver ions was proposed. The antimicrobial activities of the CP‐Ag‐NCs were examined against Escherichia coli and Candida albicans microorganisms. The results demonstrate that the CP‐Ag‐NCs can provide new applications of these nanocomposites as efficient sensors and antimicrobial materials.