Preparation, characterization and antimicrobial activities of chitosan/Ag/ZnO blend films

Novel chitosan/Ag/ZnO (CS/Ag/ZnO) blend films were prepared via a new method of sol-cast transformation. The blend films were characterized by UV–vis absorption spectroscopy (UV–vis), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometry (EDX). The results revealed that ZnO and Ag nanoparticles (NPs) with spherical and granular morphology had uniform distribution within chitosan polymer. The product had excellent antimicrobial activities against B. subtilis, E. coli, S. aureus, Penicillium, Aspergillus, Rhizopus and yeast. And CS/Ag/ZnO blend films had higher antimicrobial activities than CS/Ag and CS/ZnO blend films. Moreover, the blend films almost maintained the initial color of chitosan, which have potential application as antibacterial materials.