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

Abstract 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.