Antibacterial activities of novel nanocomposite biofilms of chitosan/phosphoramide/Ag NPs

Novel nanocomposite films of chitosan/phosphoramide/Ag NPs were prepared containing 1–5% of silver nanoparticles. The Ag NPs were synthesized according to the citrate reduction method. The XRD and SEM analysis of Ag NPs, chitosan (CS), phosphoramide (Ph), CS/Ph, CS/Ag NPs films and the nanocomposite films 1–5 containing CS/Ph/1–5% Ag NPs were investigated. The in vitro antibacterial activities were evaluated against four bacteria including two Gram‐positive Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), Bacillus cereus (B. cereus) and two Gram‐negative Escherchia coli (E. coli), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) bacteria. Results revealed greater antibacterial effects of the films against Gram‐positive bacteria. Also, nanocomposite films containing higher percent of Ag NPs showed more antibacterial activities. POLYM. COMPOS. 36:454–466, 2015. © 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Preparation and characterization of antimicrobial films based on nanocrystalline cellulose

Nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) has great potential in applications in medical and food packaging due to its abundance, high specific surface area, biodegradability, biocompatibility, and reproducibility. N-Halamine is one of the most effective antibacterial agents, with broad-spectrum efficacy against microorganisms, good stability, and reproducibility. Due to the nanosize effect and high specific surface area of NCC, N-halamine-modified NCC is potentially an excellent biocidal compound. In this paper, an N-halamine precursor 1-hydroxymethyl-5,5-dimethylhydantoin (HDH) was used to modify NCC with cyanuric chloride (cych) as the bonding agent. After chlorination, the produced NCC-cych-HDH-Cl became antibacterial. The synthesized NCC-cych-HDH-Cl was added to a chitosan (CS) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) solution to prepare antibacterial films. The optimum mixing ratio of PVA and CS in the PVA/CS films and concentration of NCC-cych-HDH-Cl were investigated. The surface morphologies and mechanical properties of the antibacterial films were characterized with scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and mechanical strength tests. The results indicated that the film with 90/10 PVA/CS and 7.0% loading of NCC-cych-HDH-Cl exhibited excellent tensile strength. The antibacterial film with 5.91 × 10¹⁷ atoms/cm² of active chlorine displayed an excellent antibacterial property against Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 6538) and Escherichia coli O157:H7 (ATCC 43895). © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019 , 136, 47101.     

Synthesis of chitosan derivative with dual‐antibacterial functional groups and its antibacterial activity

The O‐fumaryl ester (OFTMCS) of N,N,N‐trimethyl chitosan (TMCS) has been synthesized as a water‐soluble chitosan (CS) derivative bearing dual‐functional groups, with the aim of discovering novel CS derivatives with good water solubility and enhanced the antibacterial activity compared with unmodified CS. OFTMCS was characterized by FT‐IR, ¹³C NMR, XPS, XRD and Zeta potential analyses. The XPS results indicated that the degree of substitution (DS) on the C₂‐NH₂ group of the CS was 0.78, and that the DS on its C₆‐OH group was 0.31. The TGA results showed that the thermal stability of OFTMCS was lower than that of unmodified CS. The antibacterial activities of OFTMCS were investigated by assessing the mortality rates of the representative Gram‐positive and Gram‐negative bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, respectively. The results indicated that OFTMCS exhibited superior antibacterial activity to CS at a lower dosage. The synthesis of CS derivatives bearing dual‐functional groups could therefore be used as a promising strategy to enhance the antibacterial activity of CS. The antimicrobial mechanism of action of OFTMCS was discussed. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 42663.     

Manufacture and properties of chitosan/N,O‐carboxymethylated chitosan/viscose rayon antibacterial fibers

Chitosan/N,O‐carboxymethylated chitosan/viscose rayon antibacterial fibers (CNVFs) were prepared by blending chitosan emulsion, N,O‐carboxymethylated chitosan (N,O‐CMC), and viscose rayon together for spinning. The fibers were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). TEM micrographs showed that chitosan microparticles dispersed uniformly along the oriented direction with the mean size ranging from 0.1 to 0.5 μm. DSC spectra of these fibers showed that no significant change in thermal property was caused by adding chitosan and N,O‐CMC into the viscose rayon. TGA spectra showed that the good moisture retentivity was not affected by the addition of chitosan and N,O‐CMC. Both DSC and TGA suggested that the decomposing tendency of the viscose rayon above 250°C seemed to be weakened by the chitosan. The fibers' mechanical properties and antibacterial activities against Escherchia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans were measured. Although the addition of chitosan slightly reduced the mechanical properties, the antibacterial fibers' properties were obtained and were found to meet commercial requirements. CNVF exhibited excellent antibacterial activity against E. coli, S. aureus, and C. albicans. The antibacterial activity increased along with the chitosan concentration and was not greatly affected by 15 washings in water. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to observe the morphology of bacteria cells incubated together with the antibacterial or reference fibers. SEM micrographs demonstrated that greater amounts of bacteria could be adsorbed by the antibacterial fiber than by the reference fiber; these bacteria were overwhelmingly destroyed and killed. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 84: 2049–2059, 2002; DOI 10.1002/app.10501     

Preparation and characterization of chitosan‐graft‐poly(L‐lactic acid) microparticles

To improve the properties of chitosan (CS) and poly(L‐lactic acid) (PLLA) and obtain fully biodegradable materials, CS‐g‐PLLA copolymers were prepared using 1‐(3‐Dimethylaminopropyl)‐3‐ethylcarbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC)/N‐hydroxyl succinimide (NHS) as a coupling agent. The copolymers were characterized by Fourier transform infrared analysis (FTIR), ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H NMR), elemental analysis, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results obtained by FTIR and ¹H NMR showed that CS and PLLA were grafted successfully via an amide bond. DSC and XRD results showed that the thermal stability of CS had been significantly improved by grafting PLLA to the molecular chains of CS and the crystallinity of the CS‐g‐PLLA copolymers decreased significantly. Elemental analysis showed that the achieved the maximum degree of substitution of PLLA was 60.88%, while the concentration of CS was 2 mg/mL, the PLLA molecular weight was 10,000, and the EDC/NHS ratio was 2:1. Images from SEM demonstrated that the copolymers had a spherical shape and smooth surface. Moreover, the products were well dispersed without any aggregation. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 56:1432–1436, 2016. © 2016 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Synthesis of PEGylated chitosan copolymers as efficiently antimicrobial coatings for leather

In this work, poly(ethylene glcycol)‐grafted chitosan (PEG‐g‐CS) was synthesized by conjugating PEG to the chitosan (CS) backbone. Such PEGylated CS copolymer was further characterized by FTIR and ¹H NMR, and the results demonstrated the successful synthesis. After PEGylation, the water solubility of CS was significantly improved due to the hydrophilicity of the PEG polymer. Therefore, this PEGylated CS was prepared as water borne coating for leather surface. The morphology and hydrophilicity of this coating on leather was studied by SEM and water contact angle measurement. Furthermore, the antimicrobial activity of PEGylated CS coating was investigated by measuring its minimum inhibitory concentration and the inhibition zone of coated leather against Gram‐negative Escherichia coli and Gram‐positive Staphylococcus aureus, respectively. Compared to CS coating, such PEG‐g‐CS coating exhibited better antimicrobial property, which indicated the synergetic effect of the antimicrobial property of CS and the antiadhesive property of PEG. Thus, this PEGylated CS copolymer can be used as efficiently antimicrobial coating for leather product. © 2016 The Authors Journal of Applied Polymer Science Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 43465.     

Physicochemical and antibacterial properties of chitosan‐polyvinylpyrrolidone films containing self‐organized graphene oxide nanolayers

Chitosan films have a great potential to be used for wound dressing and food‐packaging applications if their physicochemical properties including water vapor permeability, optical transparency, and hydrophilicity are tailored to practical demands. To address these points, in this study, chitosan (CS) was combined with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets (with a thickness of ～1 nm and lateral dimensions of few micrometers). Flexible and transparent films with a high antibacterial capacity were prepared by solvent casting methods. By controlling the evaporation rate of the utilized solvent (1 vol % acidic acid in deionized water), self‐organization of GO in the polymer matrix was observed. The addition of PVP to the CS/GO films significantly increased their water vapor permeability and optical transmittance. A blue shift in the optical absorption edge was also noticed. Thermal analysis coupled with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy suggested that the superior thermal stability of the nanocomposite films was due to the formation of hydrogen bonds between the functional groups of chitosan with those of the graphene oxide. An improved bactericidal capacity of the nanocomposite films against gram‐positive Staphylococcus aureus and gram‐negative Escherichia coli bacteria was also observed. Highly flexible, transparent (opacity of 6.95), and antimicrobial CS/25 vol % PVP/1 wt % GO films were prepared. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 43194.     

Effect of org-titanium phosphonate on the properties of chitosan films

A new type of titanium glycine-N,N-dimethylphosphonate Ti[(O₃PCH₂)₂NCH₂COOH] (TGDMP), with the functional groups –COOH, has been prepared first and then characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Subsequently, chitosan/titanium glycine-N,N-dimethylphosphonate (CS/TGDMP-n) nanocomposite films of various compositions were prepared by solution casting method. The structure, morphology, and properties of nanocomposite films were investigated by FTIR, XRD, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), and tensile tests. The results showed that the mechanical properties of chitosan films were improved by the incorporation of TGDMP, and the samples kept at moisture environment showed the larger elongation and lower tensile strength than the dried counterparts. In addition, the CS/TGDMP-n films exhibited higher thermal stability and better moisture barrier property than neat CS films.     

Construction of Chlorine Labeled ZnO–Chitosan Loaded Cellulose Nanofibrils Film with Quick Antibacterial Performance and Prominent UV Stability

In this study, novel “green” and highly stable biocidal materials composed of cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) and ZnO–chitosan (ZnO–CS) hybrids are constructed by combing vacuum filtration and heat‐press processing without the use of any organic solvent. CNF/ZnO–CS films are soaked in a 10% sodium hypochlorite aqueous solution to endow antibacterial activity. The chlorinated CNF/ZnO–CS samples and chlorinated CNF/ZnO‐CS (CNF/ZnO‐CS‐Cl) possess quick antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli within 30 min of contact compared with CNF and CNF/ZnO–CS controls. The addition of ZnO endows the films with remarkable UV light stability. After exposure to a UV chamber for 24 h, the chlorine loadings on the prepared samples decrease to 0.13%, where 76% of the chlorine loss can be regained after rechlorination. Furthermore, cytotoxicity evaluations reveal the feasibility of the films for in vitro applications. The prepared rechargeable CNF/ZnO–CS–Cl films will have many promising antibacterial applications.     

Chitosan/titanate Nanotube Hybrid Membrane with Low Methanol Crossover for Direct Methanol Fuel Cells

Titanate nanotubes (TNTs) about 10 nm in diameter and 200–600 nm in length were hydrothermally synthesized, and then incorporated into a chitosan (CS) matrix to fabricate chitosan/titanate nanotube (CS/TNT) hybrid membranes for a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC). These hybrid membranes were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X‐ray powder diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetry (TG), and positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS). Moreover, their performances, including mechanical strength, water and methanol uptake, methanol permeability, and proton conductivity were determined. SEM results demonstrated that TNTs dispersed homogeneously in the hybrid membranes. Mechanical strength and TG measurements demonstrated that the mechanical and thermal stability of CS/TNT hybrid membranes were much higher than those of pure chitosan membranes. PALS analysis revealed that the fractional free volume (FFV) of CS/TNT hybrid membranes increased with the incorporation of TNTs and, thus, resulting in the reduction of methanol crossover. In all as‐prepared membranes, the hybrid membrane containing 15 wt % TNTs exhibited the highest mechanical strength of 85.0 MPa, low methanol permeability of 0.497 · 10^–6 cm²·s^–1, and proton conductivity of 0.0151 S·cm^–1, which had the potential for DMFC applications.     

Properties of different chitosan/low‐density polyethylene antibacterial plastics

A series of low‐density polyethylene (LDPE) antibacterial functional plastics were prepared by mechanical blending with commercial chitosan (CS), self‐made water‐soluble chitosan (W‐CS), and microchitosan as antibacterial agents. The effects of the antibacterial agent content on the elongation at break of the obtained plastics were tested, and the bacteriostatic effects against Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, and Proteus species were investigated. The results indicate that the elongation at break of LDPE with antibacterial agent decreased and had a slower decline when the mass ratio of CS to LDPE was greater than 0.5 : 100. The LDPE‐based plastics showed different antibacterial activities against the three experimental strains, and plastics with W‐CS exhibited the best antibacterial activity against B. subtilis. However, the antibacterial content had little effect on the antibacterial ratio. Moreover, 6‐week soil burial tests indicated that the addition of CS caused a decrease in the resistance of LDPE to microbiological deterioration in a natural environment. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

Antimicrobial carbon materials incorporating copper nano‐crystallites and their PLA composites

In the first stage, carbon materials were manufactured from chitin and chitosan as the main precursor. Chitin and chitosan were impregnated with Cu²⁺ ions. Using heat treatment, the organic matter (biopolymers) was transformed into a porous carbon matrix, while copper ions were transformed into copper‐based nano‐crystallites containing copper atoms in a +1 and 0 oxidation state. Such synthesized carbons exhibited high contact antifungal activity, e.g., for sample, CH‐ACu0.1_Ox against R. nigricans the inhibition zone is 10.27 mm. In the second stage, composite polymer films were manufactured by mixing polylactide (PLA) and the obtained microbial carbon material (up to 3 wt % Cu‐carbon content). Despite the very low content of carbon material (3 wt %), the composite PLA films exhibited excellent microbial properties for selected bacteria and fungi, e.g., sample CuCM3%/PLA demonstrated high log₁₀ reduction values of 2.17 and 2.66 for the strains of E. coli and S. aureus, respectively. The composite films, and their components, were examined by means of diversified physicochemical methods like low temperature adsorption of nitrogen, SEM, elemental analysis, XRD, cyclic voltammetry, antifungal, and antibacterial analysis. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 43429.     

Research on the preparation and characterization of chitosan grafted polyvinylpyrrolidone gel membrane with iodine

The chitosan grafted polyvinylpyrrolidone gel membrane with iodine (CS‐PVP‐I₂‐G‐M) was prepared by chitosan–polyvinylpyrrolidone–iodine complex liquid (CS‐PVP‐I₂‐L) mixed with gelatin. The intermediate product CS‐PVP‐I₂‐L was prepared by CS grafted PVP in the protection of N₂ with dimethyl 2,2′‐azobis (2‐methylpropionate) (AIBME) as initiator, then a certain amounts of iodine in ethanol solution was added. The properties of CS‐PVP‐I₂‐G‐M were characterized by IR, UV–Vis, SEM, XRD, DSC, and so forth. The iodine release results coherent with the release kinetic model—Fick diffusion laws, has a burst effect first, and then spread, and the emission of iodine was maintained within a certain range and kept at a stable level permanently, showed a sustained‐release effect of iodine. The inhibition zone diameters of CS‐PVP‐I₂‐G‐M against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli were both greater than 16 mm, it demonstrated significant antibacterial activity. Double effects sustained‐release effect of iodine and the significant antibacterial activity made CS‐PVP‐I₂‐G‐M highly potential for applications as a novel natural biomedical sterilization materials. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 41797.     

Preparation and characterization of chitosan/KSF biocomposite film

Chitosan–clay biocomposites have been prepared in which KSF‐montmorillonite (KSF) is used as filler and diluted acetic acid is used as solvent for dissolving and dispersing chitosan and montmorillonite, respectively. The effect of KSF loadings in biocomposites has been investigated. The characterization with different methods (FTIR, DSC, TGA, SEM, and XRD) on chitosan/KSF biocomposites systems was examined. Morphology and properties of chitosan biocomposites have been studied compared with those of pure chitosan. The FTIR and SEM results indicated the formation of an intercalated‐and‐exfoliated structure at low KSF content and an intercalated‐and‐flocculated structure at high KSF content. The thermal stability and the mechanical properties of the composites were also examined by DSC, TGA/DTG, and tensile strength measurements, respectively. The dispersed clay improves the thermal stability of the matrix systematically with the increase of clay loading. Tensile strength of a chitosan film was enhanced until the clay ratio up to 2 wt% and elongation‐at break decreased with addition of clay into the chitosan matrix. The XRD results confirmed the intercalation of the biopolymer in the clay interlayer by the decrease of 2θ values while the chitosan–clayratio increases. POLYM. COMPOS., 2009. © 2008 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Microwave‐assisted green approach for graft copolymerization of l‐lactic acid onto starch

Poly l ‐lactic acid grafted starch (St‐g‐PLA) copolymers were directly synthesized under microwave irradiation by using sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and stannous 2‐ethyl hexanoate acting as a catalyst, without the use of toxic solvents. The product were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), nuclear magnetic resonance (¹³C CP/MAS NMR), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA‐DTG). SEM analysis indicated that microwave heating had a considerable effect on the interfacial adhesion between PLA and starch. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA‐DTG) revealed that copolymers exhibited better thermal stability. Maximum PLA grafting was achieved with the following reaction conditions: 450W microwave power, monomer ratio of 1:5 and 0.4M of NaOH. This study demonstrates that it is possible to obtain St‐g‐PLA copolymers with better processing characteristics and smaller sizes via microwave‐assisted synthesis. The applied procedure is an interesting “green” synthesis method for the production of biodegradable materials used in a diverse range of applications. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 42937.     

Preparation and characterization of hyaluronan/chitosan scaffold cross‐ linked by 1‐ethyl‐3‐(3‐dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide

A novel biocompatible scaffold was prepared by cross‐linking hyaluronan (HA) and chitosan (CS). The carboxyl groups of HA were activated by 1‐ethyl‐3‐(3‐dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide (EDC) and then cross‐linked with amino groups of CS by forming amide bonds. The HA/CS scaffold thus prepared was characterized using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and differential scanning calorimetry. FTIR spectra showed that the absorbance of the amide (1550 cm^?1) and carbonyl (1633 cm^?1) bond in the cross‐linked scaffold was stronger than that in HA or CS. SEM micrographs showed that the cross‐linked scaffold produced at low EDC concentration had an intertwisted ribbon‐like microstructure, while the product prepared at higher EDC concentration had a porous structure. The concentration of EDC in the reaction system greatly affected the structure and properties of the HA/CS scaffold. The prepared scaffold could strongly resist degradation by hyaluronidase, free radicals in vitro and stress. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry     

Blend films of O‐carboxymethyl chitosan and cellulose in N‐methylmorpholine‐N‐oxide monohydrate

To introduce N‐methylmorpholine‐N‐oxide (NMMO) process to prepare antibacterial lyocell fiber, the blend films of O‐carboxymethyl chitosan (O‐CMCS) and cellulose were prepared. O‐CMCS in aqueous suspension with particles having a surface mean diameter of 2.24 μm was blended with cellulose in NMMO hydrate. The blend films with different O‐CMCS content were prepared with the blend solutions. SEM confirmed that O‐CMCS remained within the cellulose film in the particle. The mechanical properties of the blend films show little increased value when O‐CMCS was less 5%; however, it decreased sharply when O‐CMCS was over 8%. Thus, the optimum O‐CMCS content may give a good combination of antibacterial action and mechanical properties. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 102: 4601–4605, 2006     

Chitosan membranes filled by GPTMS-modified zeolite beta particles with low methanol permeability for DMFC

Uniform zeolite beta particles about 800 nm in diameter were synthesized by a hydrothermal method, and functionalized by γ-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane (GPTMS). Subsequently, chitosan (CS) membranes filled by GPTMS-modified zeolite beta particles were prepared, and characterized by SEM, FT-IR, XRD and TGA. Compared with the pure CS and Nafion^®117 membrane, these CS/zeolite beta hybrid membranes show apparently the lower methanol permeability, which could be assigned to the better interfacial morphology and compatibility between the GPTMS-modified zeolite beta particles and chitosan matrix. In all the prepared CS/zeolite beta hybrid membranes, the CS membrane filled by 10 wt.% GPTMS-modified zeolite beta particles exhibits the lowest methanol permeability, which is 4.4 × 10⁻⁷ and 2.2 × 10⁻⁷ cm² s⁻¹ at 2 and 12 M methanol concentration, respectively. The proton conductivity of this hybrid membrane is 1.31 × 10⁻² S cm⁻¹, which is slightly lower than that of the pure CS membrane. The selectivity of CS/GPTMS-zeolite beta membranes is comparable with Nafion^® 117 at 2 M methanol concentration, and much higher at 12 M methanol concentration.     

Preparation and antimicrobial activity of sulfopropyl chitosan in an ionic liquid aqueous solution

To improve the solubility and antibacterial activity of chitosan and expand its applications, we synthesized sulfopropyl chitosan (SP‐CS) with various degrees of substitution (DSs) under mild and green reaction conditions in the aqueous solution of an ionic liquid by a green process. The chemical structures of the polymers were verified by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and ¹H‐NMR, and the thermal stability was studied by thermogravimetric analysis. After modification, the water solubility of chitosan was improved significantly, and SP‐CS showed excellent solubility in water at neutral pH. The antibacterial activities of the SP‐CSs with various DSs were systematically studied for the first time by the Oxford cup method and optical density method. The results suggest that the antimicrobial properties of SP‐CS were enhanced by the introduction of sulfopropyl and increased with increasing DS. The application of chitosan could be expanded, and SP‐CS has the potential to be used as a water‐soluble antimicrobial. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017 , 134, 44989.     

Gelatin‐g‐poly(methyl methacrylate)/silver nanoparticle hybrid films and the evaluation of their antibacterial activity

We designed and prepared novel hybrid films of nanoparticles consisting of gelatin‐g‐poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)/silver (Ag) polymers with ordered nanoporous, higher antibacterial activities. First, the gelatin‐grafted PMMA microspheres were fabricated with the in situ copolymerization of gelatin and alkenes under radical initiation, which acted as a stabilizer and regulator for Ag nanoparticle growth. Then, silver nitrate was entrapped in a copolymerization system at 40°C for 30 min. Finally, the gelatin‐g‐PMMA/Ag polymer hybrid films were prepared by the reduction of Ag⁺ with hydrazine, followed by emulsion solidification. The antibacterial activities of the gelatin‐g‐PMMA/Ag polymer hybrid films against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were found with the disc diffusion method and colony count assays to be clear and lasting. In this study, our work not only presented a good example of a nanoporous antibacterial film material but also provided a facile method for making use of gelatin and metal/inorganic self‐assemble properties in graft copolymerization to prepare functional polymer hybrids, such as antibacterial, antithrombogenic, and dot‐quantum effect materials. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010