Fabrication of Amino Acid Based Silver Nanocomposite Hydrogels from PVA- Poly(Acrylamide-co-Acryloyl phenylalanine) and Their Antimicrobial Studies

Abstract

Department of Biology, Changwon National University, Changwon 641-773, KoreaReceived May 7, 2012, Accepted July 2, 2012New silver nanoparticle (AgNP)-loaded amino acid based hydrogels were synthesized successfully from poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and poly(acryl amide- co-acryloyl phenyl alanine) (PAA) by redox polymerization. Theformation of AgNP in hydrogels was confirmed by using a UV-Vis spectrophotometer and XRD. The structureand morphology of silver nanocomposite hydrogels were studied by using a scanning electron microscopy(SEM), which demonstrated scattered nanoparticles, ca. 10-20 nm. Thermogravimetric analysis revealed largedifferences of weight loss ( i.e., 48%) between the prestine hydrogel and silver nanocomposite. The antibacterialstudies of AgNP-loaded PAA (Ag-PAA) hydrogels was evaluated against Escherichia coli (Gram-negative)and Staphylococcus aureus (Gram-positive) bacteria. These Ag-PAA hydrogels showed significant activitiesagainst all the test bacteria. Newly developed hydrogels could be used for medical applications, such asartificial burn dressings. Key Words : Nanocomposite hydrogels, Poly(acryl amide-co-acryloyl phenyl alanine), Silver nanoparticles,Anti-bacterial studyIntroductionSince hydrogels possess hydrophilic character and havepotential for biocompatibility, they have been of greatinterest to biomaterial scientists for many years.