Structure and antimicrobial properties of nanocomposites based on pectin/PEI/Ag

Structural organization and antimicrobial properties of nanocomposites based on pectin, polyethyleneimine and Ag nanoparticles, which formed by the chemical and thermal reduction methods from interpolyelectrolyte-metal complexes (IMC) pectin-Ag
⁺
-polyethyleneimine have been investigated. Such type of nanocomposites with Ag nanoparticles incorporated into polymer matrix is obtained due to the chemical reduction of Ag
⁺
ions by NaBH
₄
in the interpolyelectrolyte complex, and appearance of the silver metallic phase is observed in full extent while BH
₄
^-
: Ag
⁺
molar ratio is equal to 2.0. It is defined that thermal reduction of Ag
⁺
ions in IMC bulk (while films are heated to the temperature around 100 °C and more) results in formation of nanocomposites. The antimicrobial investigation of the elaborated nanocomposites revealed they possess a high antimicrobial activity against S. aureus and E. coli strains.