Abstract

SILVER NANOPARTICLES INCORPORATED IN HYDROGELS USING NATURAL POLYMER

Silver was once used to treat a wide range of medical ailments, including epilepsy, venereal diseases, acne, and leg ulcers. Adding sodium citrate to silver nitrate solution alters the solution's colour to brilliant yellow. The yellow colour is produced by reducing silver nitrate to silver ions with sodium citrate as a reducing agent. FTIR tests demonstrate silver nanoparticles' compatibility with Xanthan and PVA. The OH stretching causes a wide band at 3564.89 cm-1 in pure Xanthan film. The NH stretching band at 3699.92 cm-1 is given to the FTIR spectra of pure PVA film. Intermolecular hydrogen bonding and –OH stretch vibrations are seen in the spectrum at 3564.89 cm-1. The 2864.64 cm-1 vibrational band is connected with C-H stretching from alkyl groups. When combined with silver nanoparticles to make a hydrogel, the peaks appear at the same wavelength. Within 20 minutes, GSN4 showed maximum water absorption capacity of 155.3 % while GSN2 showed lowest water uptake capacity of 63.6 %. The surface morphology and particle size of the silver nanoparticles were studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) at different magnifications (1.00, 800 X). As indicated in the images, silver nanoparticles with a size range of 100 nm have been formed. In UV-VIS spectroscopy, the produced silver nanoparticles revealed absorption bands at 397 nm and 420 nm. Silver nanoparticles have a visible absorption band (350 nm – 550 nm, plasmon peak at 420 nm). Staph. aureus (gram positive) and Escherichia coli (gram negative) were tested for antimicrobial activity of silver nanoparticles in Xanthan hydrogel. Silver nanoparticles operate as a broad spectrum antibiotic, inhibiting bacterial growth by forming a zone of inhibition in nutrient agar media