Facile synthesis of metal nanoparticle-loaded polymer nanocomposite with highly efficient an optically enhanced biocidal and anticancer agents

Abstract

In this work, we prepared silver nanoparticles (AgNPs)-loaded poly(2,5-dimethoxyaniline;PDMA) nanocomposite via a simple chemical oxidative method to develop new effective biocidal and anticancer agents systems. In situ UV–vis and fluorescence spectroscopy has been used to monitor the formation of PDMA/Ag is strongly dependent on the concentration of PDMA in the present system. The FTIR and XRD studies exhibit that the rate of polymer formation and oxidation state of PDMA/Ag nanocomposite, which confirmed the AgNPs is strongly binding with the PDMA matrix. SEM and EDAX analysis revealed the presence of uniform size and the highest percentage of AgNPs (42.1%) in the PDMA/Ag nanocomposite. TEM and size distribution analysis revealed the presence of spherical AgNPs with an average diameter of 25 nm in the PDMA/Ag nanocomposite. In addition, the PDMA polymer with embedded AgNPs exhibited excellent antibacterial performance against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Interestingly, the prepared PDMA/Ag nanocomposite exhibited enhanced bactericidal performance compared with the PDMA polymer, presumably because of the antibacterial properties of the AgNPs substrate. The anticancer effects of combined treatment with PDMA polymer and AgNPs were evaluated using a series of cellular and biochemical assays. The findings from this study revealed that the PDMA/Ag nanocomposite treatment significantly inhibited cell viability and proliferation of the human cervical cancer cell line (HeLa). The PDMA/Ag nanocomposite exhibits better antibacterial and anticancer activities compare to pristine PDMA.

Graphical Abstract

Keywords:

• PDMA polymer
• AgNPs
• PDMA/Ag nanocomposite
• antibacterial
• anticancer

Acknowledgments

The authors thank the Department of Industrial Chemistry, Department of Physics, Alagappa University, Karaikudi and CSIR-CECRI, Karaikudi, those who supported the FT-IR, XRD, and SEM studies respectively.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korea government (2021R1F1A1061566). The authors want to acknowledge the University Grants Commission (UGC), New Delhi, for providing the BSR Faculty Fellowship (No. F.18-1/2011(BSR)).