Preparation and antibacterial effects of PVA‐PVP hydrogels containing silver nanoparticles

The poly(vinyl alcohol)/poly(N‐vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVA–PVP) hydrogels containing silver nanoparticles were prepared by repeated freezing–thawing treatment. The silver content in the solid composition was in the range of 0.1–1.0 wt %, the silver particle size was from 20 to 100 nm, and the weight ratio of PVA to PVP was 70 : 30. The influence of silver nanoparticles on the properties of PVA–PVP matrix was investigated by differential scanning calorimeter, infrared spectroscopy and UV–vis spectroscopy, using PVA–PVP films containing silver particles as a model. The morphology of freeze‐dried PVA–PVP hydrogel matrix and dispersion of the silver nanoparticles in the matrix was examined by scanning electron microscopy. It was found that a three‐dimensional structure was formed during the process of freezing–thawing treatment and no serious aggregation of the silver nanoparticles occurred. Water absorption properties, release of silver ions from the hydrogels and the antibacterial effects of the hydrogels against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were examined too. It was proved that the nanosilver‐containing hydrogels had an excellent antibacterial ability. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 103: 125–133, 2007     

Fabrication and characterization of chitosan/poly(vinyl alcohol) electrospun nanofibrous membranes containing silver nanoparticles for antibacterial water filtration

Electrospun nanofibrous membranes (ENMs) were fabricated based on chitosan/poly(vinyl alcohol) (CS/PVA) with a 70/30 mass ratio containing silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) via the electrospinning method. AgNPs were produced on the surface of CS/PVA nanofibers by adding AgNO₃ to a CS/PVA blend solution as a silver rendering component. The presence of AgNPs in the polymer blend solution was detected by UV spectrophotometry. The morphology of nanofibers before and after cross-linking with glutaraldehyde was investigated by the field emission scanning electron microscopy. The formation and size distribution of AgNPs onto the surface of nanofibers were observed by transmission electron microscopy and confirmed by energy dispersing X-ray spectroscopy. As-spun and cross-linked CS/PVA nanofibers revealed a smooth surface with diameters ranging from 58 to 73 nm and 95 to 109 nm, respectively. The effect of AgNP formation on the chemical structure of nanofibers was explored by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Static and dynamic antibacterial filtration efficiencies of CS/PVA ENMs, containing differing amounts of AgNO₃, have been tested against Escherichia coli, a gram negative bacterium. The antibacterial assessment results exhibited a significant increase in both static and dynamic antibacterial filtration efficiencies of the prepared CS/PVA ENMs by addition of AgNO₃ as a bactericidal agent.     

Nanophotothermolysis of Poly-(vinyl) Alcohol Capped Silver Particles

Laser-induced thermal fusion and fragmentation of poly-(vinyl) alcohol (PVA)-capped silver nanoparticles in aqueous medium have been reported. PVA-capped silver nanoparticles with an average size of 15 nm were prepared by chemical reduction technique. The laser-induced photo-fragmentation of these particles has been monitored by UV-visible spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The morphological changes induced by thermal and photochemical effects were found to influence the optical properties of these nanoparticles.     

Facile synthesis and antibacterial evaluation of poly(acrylamide‐co‐(β‐cyclodextrin))/silver nanocomposite

Hydrogel/silver nanocomposites have shown immense potential in many biological applications. In this article, a facile method to synthesize poly(acrylamide‐co‐(β‐cyclodextrin))/silver nanocomposites is reported. The silver nanoparticles were in situ synthesized accompanying with the formation of poly(acrylamide‐co‐(β‐cyclodextrin)) hydrogel by gamma irradiation without additional reducing and stabilizing agents. In addition, the nanocomposites were prepared under ambient conditions. The formation of silver nanoparticles was confirmed by ultraviolet used to characterize the structure and composition of the synthetic nanocomposites. Transmission electron microscope verified the formation and homogeneous distribution of silver nanoparticles in the hydrogel matrix. The hybrid hydrogel exhibited excellent water‐swelling properties, which could be controlled by varying the mass ratio of acrylamide (AM) to β‐cyclodextrin (β‐CD) in the hydrogel. Furthermore, the poly(acrylamide‐co‐(β‐cyclodextrin))/silver nanocomposites were found to be effective in inhibiting the growth of both Gram‐negative Escherichia coli and Gram‐positive Staphylococcus aureus. POLYM. COMPOS., 37:1480–1487, 2016. © 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Preparation and characterization of magnetic nanoparticles embedded in hydrogels for protein purification and metal extraction

The present work involves the development of hydrogel magnetic nanocomposites for protein purification and heavy metal extraction applications. The magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) were prepared in situ in poly(acrylamide)-gum acacia (PAM-GA) hydrogels. The formation of magnetic nanoparticles in the hydrogel networks was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Scanning electron (SEM) microscopy studies revealed the formation of MNPs throughout the hydrogel networks. The average size of MNPs formed in the hydrogel networks was 3–5 nm as determined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The thermal properties of the hydrogel magnetic nanocomposites were evaluated by dynamic scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric (TG) analysis. The magnetic properties of the developed hydrogel magnetic nanocomposites were determined by a vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). The swelling properties of the hydrogel and the hydrogel magnetic nanocomposites were studied in detail. The hydrogel magnetic nanocomposites are utilized for the removal of toxic metal ions such as Co(II), Ni(II), and Cu(II) and for protein purification. The results confirm that the hydrogel magnetic nanocomposites exhibit superior extraction properties to hydrogels.     

Preparation and characterization of poly(vinyl alcohol) cryogel‐silver nanocomposites and evaluation of blood compatibility,cytotoxicity, and antimicrobial behaviors

In this investigation, cryogels composed of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) were prepared by repeated freeze‐thaw method. The prepared cryogels served as templates for producing highly stable and uniformly distributed silver nanoparticles via in situ reduction of silver nitrate (AgNO₃) using alkaline formaldehyde solution as reducing agent. The structure of the PVA/Ag cryogel nanocomposites was characterized by a Fourier transform infrared and Raman spectroscopy. The morphologies of pure PVA cryogels and PVA/Ag nanocomposites were observed by a scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. The SEM analysis suggested that cryogels show a well defined porous morphology whereas TEM micrographs revealed the presence of nearly spherical and well separated Ag nanoparticles with diameter about 100 nm. XRD results showed all relevant Bragg's reflections for crystal structure of silver nanoparticles. The amount of silver in cryogel nanocomposites and thermal stability were determined by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP‐AES) and thermogravimetric analysis measurements. Mechanical properties of nanocomposites were observed in terms of tensile strength. The antibacterial studies of the synthesized nanosilver containing cryogels showed good antibacterial activity against both gram‐negative and gram‐positive bacteria. The prepared PVA/Ag nanocomposites were also investigated for swelling and deswelling behaviors. The results reveal that both the swelling and deswelling process depends on the chemical composition of the cryogel silver nanocomposites, number of freeze‐Thaw cycles and pH and temperature of the swelling medium. The biocompatibility of the prepared nanocomposites was judged by in vitro methods of percent hemolysis and protein (BSA) adsorption. POLYM. COMPOS., 36:1983–1997, 2015. © 2014 Society of Plastics Engineer     

Synthesis and characterization of pH-sensitivity semi-IPN hydrogel based on hydrogen bond between poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone) and poly(acrylic acid)

A novel spherically shaped semi-interpenetrating network (semi-IPN) hydrogel, which is based on hydrogen bond between chemical crosslinked poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) and linear poly(acrylic acid) (PAA), was prepared. The semi-IPN hydrogel was synthesized by three steps: (1) linear PAA with different molecular weights were obtained by a reaction of free radical polymerization used 2,2′-azo-bis-iso-butyronitrile (AIBN) as an initiator; (2) crosslinked PVP bead was obtained by a reaction of N-vinylpyrrolidone with AIBN used as an initiator and N,N′-methylene-bis-acrylamide (NNMBA) used as a crosslinker by the way of suspension polymerization; (3) complexation occurred between suitable amount of aqueous solution of PAA and the porous PVP bead and was stabilized by multiple frost-defrost, from this step the semi-IPN hydrogel was obtained. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) proved the presence of the hydrogen bond in the hydrogel. The swelling behaviour of the hydrogel was studied in buffer solution with different pH and NaCl aqueous solution. The results showed that the semi-IPN hydrogel had excellent pH-sensitivity in the range of pH from 2.25 to 4.00 and the small molecule salt had little influence on the swelling behaviour of the semi-IPN hydrogel over the range of concentration of NaCl aqueous solution investigated. The results were confirmed further by scanning electron microscope (SEM). The mechanism of swelling and deswelling was discussed.     

Gamma Radiation Synthesis and Characterization of Starch Based Polyelectrolyte Hydrogels Loaded Silver Nanoparticles

Starch based polyelectrolyte hydrogels are composed of combination of starch with N-vinyl pyrrolidone (NVP), acrylamide (AAm) and acrylic acid (AAc). The Starch based polyelectrolyte hydrogels were successfully synthesized by using gamma radiation polymerization technique. Silver nanopaticles were formed by reduction of silver nitrate in the hydrogels with sodium borohydride under room temperature. The formation of silver nanoparticles in hydrogels were well characterized by using Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR), UV–Visible spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction studies transmission electron microscope (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) studies. The X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed the formation of silver nanoparticles in the range of 38.86, 41.44 and 47.07 nm for P(Starch/NVP)-Ag, P(Starch/AAm)-Ag and P(Starch/AAc)-Ag nanoparticles hydrogels, respectively. The TEM images supported the mean size particle of 35.81, 39.29 and 40.45 nm for P(Starch/NVP)-Ag, P(Starch/AAm)-Ag and P(Starch/AAc)-Ag, respectively. The SEM images indicated clearly the formation of silver nanoparticles with spherical shape within the network of the hydrogels.     

Radiation synthesis, characterisation and antimicrobial application of novel copolymeric silver/poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate/itaconic acid) nanocomposite hydrogels

Silver nanoparticles were fabricated via in situ reduction of silver nitrate embedded in swollen P(HEMA/IA) hydrogel, using gamma radiolysis method. Copolymeric hydrogels based on 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) and itaconic acid (IA), previously synthesised by gamma radiation for wound dressing application, were used as a carrier and a stabilising agent, while ethyl alcohol was used as a free radical scavenger. The influence of different P(HEMA/IA) hydrogels and silver salt concentrations on the size and distribution of nanoparticles was investigated. The Ag/P(HEMA/IA) nanocomposites were characterised by high resolution scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, wide-angle X-ray diffraction, UV-Vis spectroscopy and swelling measurements. Escherichia coli (Gram-negative bacterium), Staphylococcus aureus (Gram-positive bacterium) and Candida albicans (fungus) were used to prove the antimicrobial properties of Ag/P(HEMA/IA) nanocomposites. The inhibition kinetics of bacteria growth was investigated by measuring the colony-forming unit. The antimicrobial effectiveness of the Ag/P(HEMA/IA) hydrogel nanocomposite was demonstrated even at small silver concentrations. P(HEMA/IA) hydrogels containing nanosilver particles was found suitable to be used as wound dressing.     

Rheological investigation of poly(vinyl alcohol)/poly(N-vinyl pyrrolidone) mixtures in aqueous solution and hydrogel state

Rheological behavior of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and poly(N-vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) mixtures in aqueous solutions and hydrogel state was investigated. The complex dependence of the viscosity on PVA/PVP mixture composition could be attributed to cumulative effects of electrostatic interactions, hydrogen bonding or association phenomena. Physical hydrogels were prepared by freezing/thawing method and their viscoelastic properties were followed as a function of number of cryogenic cycles and aging time at 37 °C. From swelling experiments, it was observed that the diffusion of water molecules into the hydrogel pores is Fickian (for low number of cryogenic cycles) and it becomes pseudo-Fickian as the sample is submitted to more than 10 freezing/thawing cycles. PVA/PVP hydrogels obtained by physical interactions present a high degree of tailorability and they are suitable candidates for biomedical applications.     

Evaluation of two chemical crosslinking methods of poly(vinyl alcohol) hydrogels for injectable nucleus pulposus replacement

Low back pain caused by intervertebral disc degeneration is one of the most common spinal disorders among patients seeking medical treatment. The most common surgical treatments are spinal fusion and total disc arthroplasty, both of which are very invasive surgical procedures. Nucleus pulposus replacement is an earlier stage intervention for disc degeneration. One of the material classes being studied for this application is hydrogels: a three‐dimensional hydrated network of polymer(s), which mimics the mechanical and physiological properties of the nucleus. Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP), and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) hydrogels have previously been shown to be great candidate materials for injectable nucleus pulposus replacement, but have experienced issues with swelling and mass retention. The addition of chemical crosslinking to the PVA/PVP/PEG hydrogel system will allow tailoring of the swelling, mechanical, injectability, and mass loss properties of the hydrogel network. Two chemical crosslinking methods were evaluated for the PVA/PVP/PEG hydrogel system by characterizing the hydrogels with compression, swelling, and spectroscopy experiments. The results of these experiments led to the selection of the difunctional crosslinking strategy using PEG functionalized with terminal epoxide group (PEG diglycidyl ether) as the preferred crosslinking method. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131, 40843.     

Silver/poly(N‐vinyl‐2‐pyrrolidone) hydrogel nanocomposites obtained by electrochemical synthesis of silver nanoparticles inside the polymer hydrogel aimed for biomedical applications

Silver nanoparticles were produced inside a poly(N‐vinyl‐2‐pyrrolidone) hydrogel (PVP) by an innovative method based on the electrochemical reduction of Ag⁺ ions within the swollen PVP hydrogel. UV‐visible spectroscopy showed the highest value of the absorbance intensity and the lowest values of the wavelength of the absorbance maximum and the full width at the half‐maximum absorbance for the Ag/PVP nanocomposite obtained at 200 V during 4 min. Cyclic voltammetry results suggested an adequate entrapment of the silver nanoparticles. The mechanical properties under bioreactor conditions of the Ag/PVP nanocomposite suggested the possibility of wound dressing application. Silver release from Ag/PVP nanocomposites was confirmed under static conditions as well as by their antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus. POLYM. COMPOS., 35:217–226, 2014. © 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Effect of Inorganic Silver Nanoparticles on Structural and Electrical Properties of Polyaniline/PVC Blends

Dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid (DBSA) doped polyaniline (PANDR) has been synthesized by redoping method. Inorganic silver nanoparticles were incorporated in THF solution of PANDR (PANDS) and then mixed with PVC solution to prepare PANDS/PVC nanocomposites. FTIR spectroscopy indicated that silver nanoparticles reside more close to imine nitrogen of PANDS. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) confirmed the formation and dispersion of silver nanoparticles in polymer matrix having average size of ~20 nm. Incorporation of inorganic metal silver nanoparticles has improved the mechanical properties of nanocomposite films as compared to pure polymer blends. Addition of silver nanoparticles in the blends reduces the charge trapping centres and increases the conducting channels; as a result a decrease in the real part of impedance has been observed.     

Investigation on the interpenetrating polymer networks (ipns) of polyvinyl alcohol and poly(N-vinyl pyrrolidone) hydrogel and its in vitro bioassessment

Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and poly(N-vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) composite hydrogel with interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs) was prepared by in situ polymerization and compared with pure PVA hydrogel. The prepared IPN hydrogel was characterized by infrared spectroscopy (IR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and scanning electron microscopy. The mechanical property and cell culture were also tested. The results show that PVP can chemically bond with PVA and form uniform blend hydrogel. The content of PVP can affect the structure, crystallinity, glass transition temperature (T_g), and mechanical property of the hydrogel. The T_g of the PVA hydrogel is 2.7°C while the T_g of the IPN hydrogel is −37°C. The IPN hydrogel has lower glass transition temperature, corresponding to better elastic properties, and has better mechanical performance on stretch and compression than PVA hydrogel. The crystallinity (X_c) of PVA hydrogel and IPN hydrogel is 65.3 and 26.3%, respectively. The DMA curves and XPS analysis suggest that PVA and PVP are well miscible on a molecular level in the IPN hydrogel. The cell proliferation trend demonstrates that the addition of PVP has a positive influence on the cell growth and the IPN hydrogel may be used as a promising biomaterial for artificial cartilage substitute. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012     

Biodegradability, antimicrobial activity and properties of PVA/PVP hydrogels prepared by γ-irradiation

Polyvinyl alcohol/polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVA/PVP) hydrogel has been prepared by using γ-irradiation technique. In the present study the conclusion on miscibility of PVA/PVP blends, confirmed qualitatively and quantitatively by using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry, respectively. PVA and PVP are found to form a thermodynamically miscible pair. The physical properties such as gel fraction and water absorption performance of the prepared hydrogels were measured, it was found that the gel fraction increases with increasing irradiation dose while the swelling of PVA/PVP blended hydrogels nearly tends to increase with increasing PVP content and reduced with enhanced irradiation doses. The hydrogel pore structure of various PVA/PVP compositions were tested with SEM. Ability of PVA/PVP hydrogels to absorb and release antimicrobial compounds was tested using amoxicillin as an antibacterial and ketoconazole as an antifungal. Antimicrobial activity of PVA/PVP hydrogels was examined using four bacteria, and four fungi. No antibacterial or antifungal activities of non-loaded PVA/PVP of various compositions were detected while the loading ones found to have antimicrobial activity. Results showed resistance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans to PVA/PVP, while Bacillus subtilis was very sensitive. Biodegradation of PVA/PVP hydrogels was investigated by burial method in two types of local soils (clay and sandy soils). The highest degradation rate was found to be achieved using clay soil. Also, effect of irradiation dose on its biodegradability was tested. The results showed that the radiation prepared PVA/PVP hydrogels can be use as biomaterials.     

Electron Beam Synthesis and Characterization of Poly Vinyl Alcohol/Poly Acrylic Acid Embedded Ni and Ag Nanoparticles

Electron beam irradiation was applied to prepare poly (vinyl alcohol) and poly (acrylic acid) P (PVA/AAc) containing nickel and silver nanoparticles. The prepared P (PVA/AAc)–Ni and P (PVA/AAc)–Ag nanoparticles were characterized by Fourier-transform infrared, UV–Visible spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The electrical conductivity and thermal gravimetrical analysis (TGA) have been investigated. Bacterial sensitivity toward nickel and silver nanoparticles was studied. The XRD and TEM confirmed that by increasing the Ni or Ag contents from 10 to 150?mmol in the copolymers, the metal particle size increases from 27.6 to 45.6?nm for Ni and from 14.8 to 37.4?nm for Ag. Meanwhile, the mean size particle increases from 33.02 to 45.05?nm for Ni and from 15.5 to 44.03?nm for Ag. The electrical conductivity of the polymer containing Ag is higher than that of Ni and it increased by increasing the metal content. The TGA studies confirmed that, the thermal stability increase by the introduction of metal into polymeric complex. Bacterial sensitivity to metal nanoparticles was found to vary depending on the microbial species. Disc diffusion studies with P. aeruginosa, E. coli and K. pneumoniae revealed greater effectiveness of the silver nanoparticles compared to the nickel nanoparticles, S. aureus depicted the highest sensitivity to nanoparticles compared to the other strains and was more adversely affected by the nickel nanoparticles.     

Characterization of associating hydrogels of poly(vinyl alcohol) and poly(vinyl pyrrolidone)

In this study, hydrogels were prepared from blends of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP). The miscibility of the polymers was confirmed with differential scanning calorimetry with the appearance of a single glass‐transition temperature. Additionally, a negative Flory–Huggins interaction parameter further verified the interaction between PVA and PVP. We evaluated the stability of the hydrogels by swelling the gels in phosphate‐buffered saline solutions at pH 7.4. With attenuated total reflectance‐Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, it was determined that, during swelling, PVP dissolved out of the gel over time and the equilibrium gel content of PVP was nearly identical in all of the samples investigated. After the dissolution of PVP, the equilibrium water content of the gels ranged from 64 to 76 wt %. Additionally, rubber elasticity studies were performed to elucidate information about the physically crosslinked network structure. As determined from rubber elasticity experiments, the mesh size of the physically crosslinked hydrogels ranged from 90 to 230 Å. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

Preparation of atactic poly(vinyl alcohol)/silver composite nanofibers by electrospinning and their characterization

Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/silver composite nanofibers were successfully prepared by the electrospinning method. Water‐based colloidal silver in a PVA solution was directly mixed without any chemical or structural modifications into PVA polymer fibers to form organic–inorganic composite nanofibers. The ratio of silver colloidal solution to PVA played an important role in the formation of the PVA/silver composite nanofibers. We prepared two different atactic PVA/silver nanocomposites with number‐average degrees of polymerization of 1700 and 4000 through electrospinning with various processing parameters, such as initial polymer concentration, amount of silver colloidal solution, applied voltage, and tip‐to‐collector distance. The PVA/silver composite nanofibers were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). TEM images showed that silver nanoparticles with an average diameter of 30–50 nm were obtained and were well distributed in the PVA nanofibers. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Enhancement of pervaporation performance of composite membranes through in situ generation of silver nanoparticles in poly(vinyl alcohol) matrix

Composite membranes were prepared from an aqueous solution of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and silver sulphate. The silver nanoparticles were generated in situ before crosslinking PVA matrix by reduction of silver ions using sodium borohydride. Physico‐chemical properties of the resulting composite membranes were studied using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), UV–vis spectroscopy (UV–vis), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction (WAXD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and universal testing machine (UTM). The UV–vis spectrum shows a single peak at 410 nm due to surface plasmon absorption of silver nanoparticles. This surely specified that silver nanoparticles are generated in PVA matrix. The membranes were under go pervaporation (PV) for separation of water from isopropanol at different temperatures. The results indicated that hydrophilicity and amorphous nature of the membranes were increased with increasing silver nanoparticles in PVA matrix. The swelling and separation performance of the membranes were studied. Both permeation flux and separation factor were increased with increasing silver nanoparticles in PVA matrix. The results showed that the membrane containing 2.5 mass% of Ag salt exhibited excellent PV performance. The values of total flux and flux of water are almost closed to each other, indicating that membranes could be effectively used to break the azeotropic point of water‐isopropanol. The long‐term test was performed at room temperature and ascertained that membranes were durable up to 30 days for the dehydration of IPA. On the basis of the estimate Arrhenius activation energy values, the efficiency of the membranes was discussed. The calculated ΔH_s values are negative for all the membranes, indicating that Longmuir's mode of sorption is predominant. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 41248.     

Preparation and characterization of electrospun poly(ε‐caprolactone)/poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) nanofiber composites containing silver particles

A nanofiber membrane composed of poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PCL), poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP), and silver nanoparticles was prepared via electrospinning technique. The morphology and structure of the PCL/PVP/Ag nanofibers composite were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The SEM images showed that various composites of PCL/PVP/Ag could be electrospun to yield continuous and uniform nanofibers. FTIR spectra indicated that the molecular interactions between PCL and PVP are weak. The hydrophilicity, mechanical property, and swelling behavior of the as‐spun composites can be manipulated by altering the blend ratio of PCL/PVP. XRD patterns and XPS spectra showed that the Ag nanoparticles were dispersed in the PCL/PVP nanofiber composites; and the Ag nanoparticles endowed the PCL/PVP/Ag composite with antibacterial activities. The obtained PCL/PVP/Ag nanofiber composites with the morphology similar to that of native extracellular matrix have the potential to create a moist environment and to kill bacteria, which make it possible to be used for wound dressing application. POLYM. COMPOS., 37:2847–2854, 2016. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers