Morphological, structural, molecular docking and biocidal studies of newly synthesized Ppy‐MA/TiO2 nanocomposites

Abstract

The present paper describes the chemical oxidative polymerization of pyrrole and methyl anthranilate, Ppy‐MA, in different molar ratios in high yields. The polymerization takes place in the presence of H2O2 and FeSO4. Subsequently, electrically conducting nanocomposites Ppy‐MA/TiO2 were obtained by in situ chemical oxidative polymerization using TiO2 nanoparticles in different molar ratios. The structure and morphology of black powdered copolymers, Ppy‐MA, and their nanocomposites, Ppy‐MA/TiO2, were ascertained using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X‐ray differential, thermogravimetric analysis, and differential thermal analysis. These studies have shown that the nanocomposites, Ppy‐MA/TiO2, are thermally more stable, good electrical conductors as compared with their copolymers Ppy‐MA.The copolymers Ppy‐MA prepared from different monomer ratios and its nanocomposites Ppy‐MA/TiO2 have been screened for their possible in vitro antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 29213), Streptococcus mutans (ATCC 25175), Streptococcus pyogenes (MTCC 435), Staphylococcus epidermidis (MTCC 435), Bacillus cereus (MTCC 430), Corynebacterium xerosis (ATCC 373), Acetobacter bovis (Clinical isolate), Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922), Klebsiella pneumoniae (MTCC 109), Proteus vulgaris (MTCC 426), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MTCC 424) using ciprofloxacin and gentamicin as standard drugs. Moreover, the anthelmintic activities of copolymers Ppy‐MA and its nanocomposites Ppy‐MA/TiO2 have also been estimated against the standard drug, albendazole. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.