Silver and zinc oxide based nano powders and their polymer based nanocomposites for antibacterial application

Abstract

The microorganisms cause some serious infections. It is a requirement and a necessity to create sterile fields such as hospital, food processing and public places. Composite stones are one of the main building materials that have been used in buildings due to their high resistant to abrasives, chemicals and mechanical impacts. The silver (Ag), zinc oxide (ZnO), and also nano Ag loaded ZnO (ZnO/Ag) nanopowders have demonsrated capability for the preparation of the polymer based antibacterial nanocomposite materials. In this study, Ag/polyester, ZnO/polyester, Ag/ZnO/polyester and their nanocomposites were prepared and tested with various weight fractions. The microstructure and surface morphology of these nanocomposites were investigated by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM/EDX). The thermal properties were analyzed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). Finally, The antibacterial properties of nanocomposites were analyzed against gram positive (Bacillus subtilis) and gram negative bacteria (Escherichia coli).