Physicochemical properties and antimicrobial activity of nanocomposite films based on carboxymethylcellulose and silver nanoparticles

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) stabilized by sodium carboxymethylcellulose (Na-CMC) with degree of substitution (DS) 0.65-0.90 and degree of polymerization (DP) 200-600 were synthesized by photochemical method. The structural, physico-chemical, and physico-mechanical properties as well as antimicrobial activity of polymer films containing the Na-CMC and AgNPs were studied. The shape, quantity, and size of the AgNPs embedded into the Na-CMC films were determined by UV-Vis spectroscopy, ZETASIZER Nano ZS, atomic force microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. It was found that the increase of silver nitrate concentration in solution of Na-CMC followed by photoirradiation leads to the change of size and shape of AgNPs. The AgNPs in the range of size from 5 to 35 nm were found to enhance the microbicidal activities of the Na-CMC films.