Photo-induced green synthesis and antimicrobial efficacy of poly (ɛ-caprolactone)/curcumin/grape leaf extract-silver hybrid nanoparticles

• New well-designed poly(ɛ-caprolactone)-based nanoparticles (PCL NPs) were prepared.
• The PCL NPs were used as active nano-supports for green synthesis of hybrid AgNPs.
• The synthesis was photo-induced and carried out in mild aqueous conditions.
• The newly obtained PCL-Ag hybrid NPs were characterized using different techniques.
• The PCL-Ag hybrid NPs demonstrated very promising antimicrobial activity.

This study reports the photo-induced green synthesis and antimicrobial assessment of poly(ɛ-caprolactone)/curcumin/grape leaf extract-Ag hybrid nanoparticles (PCL/Cur/GLE-Ag NPs). PCL/Cur/GLE NPs were synthesized via emulsion-solvent evaporation in the presence of PVA as a capping agent, then used as active nano-supports for the green synthesis and stabilization of AgNPs on their surfaces. Both Cur and GLE were selected and incorporated into the PCL nano-supports due to their reported promising antimicrobial activity that would further enhance that of the synthesized AgNPs. The developed PCL/Cur/GLE NPs and PCL/Cur/GLE-Ag hybrid NPs were characterized using UV–visible spectrophotometry, high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). HRTEM images showed that the PCL/Cur/GLE NPs are monodispersed and spherical with size of about 270 nm, and the AgNPs were formed mainly on their surfaces with average size in the range 10–30 nm. The synthesized AgNPs were found to be crystalline as shown by XRD patterns with fcc phase oriented along the (111), (200), (220) and (311) planes. The antimicrobial characteristics of the newly developed NPs were investigated against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria in addition to two fungal strains. The results demonstrated that the PCL/Cur/GLE-Ag hybrid NPs have a potential antimicrobial activity against pathogenic bacterial species and could be considered as an alternative antibacterial agent.

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