Facile and rapid synthesis of efficient epoxy-novolac acrylate / MWCNTs-APTES-ZnO hybrid coating films by UV irradiation: Thermo-mechanical, shape stability, swelling, hydrophobicity and antibacterial properties

Abstract

The focus of this investigation is based on the absence of previous study on shape stability, swelling and hydrophobicity in polar and non-polar solvents and antibacterial properties of epoxy-novolac acrylate (ENA)/multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs)-3-aminopropyl triethoxysilane (APTES)-ZnO (ENA-MWCNT-A-ZnO) hybrid coating films. Hybrid coating films were prepared by mixing of ENA with photo-initiator (2-hydroxy 2-methyl phenyl propane 1-one), Trimethylolpropane triacrylate (TMPTA) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes-APTES-ZnO (MWCNTs-A-ZnO) concentration (1 and 2 wt %). The hybrid films were characterized by electron microscopy to study surface and bulk morphologies. Spectroscopy studies were carried out to determine the effect of MWCNTs-A-ZnO incorporation on intermolecular interactions, degree of crystallinity and extent of crosslinking, respectively. The extent of MWCNTs-A-ZnO loading on the morphological structure, melt viscosity, glasstransition temperature, tensilestrength and antibacterial performance of the coating films was evaluated. The glass transition temperature, tensile strength and young's modulus of the ENA are significantly increased with increasing MWCNTs-A-ZnO concentration. Resilient shape stability was observed in water as well as in various organic solvents. The S. aureus bacteria shows higher degree of inhibition compared to E. coli inhibition zone and increasing of E. coli inhibition zone with increasing concentration of MWCNT-A-ZnO nanoparticles.