Synthesis and Antibacterial Activity of Silver Nanoparticles Embedded in Smart Poly(N-Isopropylacrylamide)-Based Hydrogel Networks

Abstract

In recent study, we report the synthesis and antibacterial activity of silver nanoparticles embedded in smart poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-based hydrogel networks. A series of thermosensitive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-methacrylic acid-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) [P(NIPAAm-MAA-HEM)] with various cross-linking ratio have been obtained by cross-linking free radical polymerization of N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm), methacrylic acid (MAA), and hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEM) in the presence of triethyleneglycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA) as cross-linker. Highly stable and uniformly distributed silver nanoparticles have been obtained with hydrogel networks via in situ reduction of silver nitrate (AgNO3 ) using sodium borohydride (NaBH4 ) as reducing agent. The formation of silver nanoparticles has been confirmed with ultraviolet visible (UV–Vis) spectroscopy. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results demonstrated that employed hydrogels have regulated the silver nanoparticles size to 50–150 nm. The preliminary antibacterial activity performed to these hydrogel–silver nanocomposites.