Synthesis, characterization and antibacterial effect of poly(acrylonitrile/maleic acid)–silver nanocomposite

• We synthesized new nanocomposite, poly(acrylonitrile/maleic acid)–nano silver.
• The interactions between the CN groups and Ag applied in composite construction.
• This system displays potent antimicrobial activity toward some bacterial species.
• The antibacterial effect was studied by disk diffusion method MBC and MIC method.
• Ag releases have been studied by technique of ICP atomic emission spectroscopy.

Here we have presented a simple method of fabricating highly efficient antibacterial nanocomposite films consisting of Acrylonitrile-based copolymer and embedded Ag nanoparticles. Copolymerization of acrylonitrile (AN) and maleic anhydride (PAMA) was conducted by a water phase precipitation copolymerization process (WPPCP) with K2S2O8-Na2SO3 as the initiator system. Structures of the PAMA–AgNPs were studied using scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The antibacterial effect was studied by disk diffusion, minimum inhibition (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBC) methods against bacterial strains. Finally, the new nanocomposite displayed potent antimicrobial activity against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. These properties indicated that the films could be potentially useful as antimicrobial nanocomposite in a wide variety of packaging, biomedical, and general use applications.

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