Fabrication and characterization of microwave assisted carboxymethyl cellulose-gelatin silver nanoparticles imbibed hydrogel: Its evaluation as dye degradation

Abstract

The hybrid hydrogel of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and gelatin was synthesized by grafting of poly(acrylic acid) chains in the presence of ammonium persulphate (APS) as initiator and N, N′–methylenebisacrylamide (MBA) as cross-linker in aqueous medium using microwave irradiation method. The hydrogel showed swelling ratio (SR) of 80 g/g at pH 10.0. FTIR of hydrogel confirmed the interaction of CMC and gelatin through cross-linker MBA to form a three-dimensional network. SEM studies further confirmed the three dimensional cross-linked porous structure of synthesized hydrogel. The addition of gelatin to CMC modified the network architecture and contributed to improved mechanical and thermal properties. The characteristic surface plasmon resonance (SPR) of nanosilver was observed at 414 nm. TEM images showed the formation of spherical nanoparticles with mean particle size of 12 nm and zeta potential value is +34.12 mV, indicated the good stability of silver nanoparticles. XRD and SAED pattern agreed with fcc crystalline structure of silver nanoparticles within porous network. The silver nanoparticles loaded hybrid hydrogel exhibited a promising catalytic activity for degradation of congo-red and rhodamine B dyes.