Biological activity of electrochemically synthesized silver doped polyvinyl alcohol/graphene composite hydrogel discs for biomedical applications

Silver/poly(vinyl alcohol), Ag/PVA, and silver/poly(vinyl alcohol)/graphene, Ag/PVA/Gr, composite hydrogel discs were produced by freezing/thawing, followed by electrochemical reduction of Ag+ ions inside respective matrices, at constant voltage in specially designed electrochemical cell. Raman, FT-IR and FE-SEM characterized interactions between PVA, graphene and silver nanoparticles. Ag/PVA and Ag/PVA/Gr discs classified as non-cytotoxic towards peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) according to MTT cytotoxicity test, while exhibiting antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. The slow silver release and high remaining silver content of ∼67–68 wt % after 28 day immersion in simulated body fluid confirmed that both composites can preserve their sterility over time.