Synthesis of chitosan-g-poly(acrylamide)/ZnS nanocomposite for controlled drug delivery and antimicrobial activity

Nanocomposite materials are gaining grounds in the fields of medicine, environmental sciences and for basic studies. Herein, we have developed, a novel method for the preparation of chitosan-g-poly(acrylamide)/ZnS (abbreviated as CPAZ) nanocomposite using microwave radiations. The synthesized CPAZ nanocomposites were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA). FTIR results established the grafting of acrylamide onto chitosan backbone. TEM analysis revealed the size of the CPAZ nanocomposite particles in the range of 19-26 nm. XRD technique predicated the crystalline behavior of the nanocomposite. Therefore, XRD, TEM and FTIR spectrum analysis confirmed the formation of CPAZ nanocomposites. Zeta potential for CPAZ nanocomposite was found to be +28.2 mV which indicated its stability. The CPAZ nanocomposites were investigated for drug release behavior and we found a maximum of 79% drug release at pH 2.2. Moreover, CPAZ nanocomposite was also found to be antimicrobial against Escherichia coli bacteria.