SYNTHESIS AND WOUND HEALING PROPERTIES OF POLYVINYL ALCOHOL FILMS DOPED WITH METAL NANOPARTICLES OF Cu AND Ag

The skin recovery (wound healing) properties of materials based on polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) doped with metal nanoparticles (PVA-MNPs) and their chemical and physical characterization is reported. The synthesis of copper and silver metal nanoparticles supported in PVA was performed by Solvated Metal Atom Dispersed (SMAD) method using 2-ethoxyethanol as solvent. The average size of metal nanoclusters (PVA-Cu = 77 nm, PVA-Ag = 72 nm) was determined by TEM and the distribution of the inorganic phase in the hybrid material was analyzed by SEM-EDX. TGA performed in synthetic air atmosphere shows an improvement in the thermal stability by addition of nanometals to pure polymer, with the copper composite showing a higher thermo resistive capacity than the rest. Antibacterial activity against ATCC bacterial strains of Escherichia coli (E.C.), Staphylococcus aureus (S.A.), Staphylococcus epidermidis (S.E.) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P.A.) was determined. The silver compound showed antibacterial activity against all tested microorganisms, while the copper compound was active against S.E. Toxicological and wound healing tests were performed in Sprague Dawley rats with infested injuries on the back which were treated with PVA films doped with copper and silver. The recovery of injures infested with S. aureus is reported. This type of material could be used for biomedical applications, such as skin recovery processes in infected wounds or type I and II burns.