Multifunctional nanocomposites of chitosan, silver nanoparticles, copper nanoparticles and carbon nanotubes for water treatment: Antimicrobial characteristics

• Published in: International journal of biological macromolecules 2017-04, Vol.97, p.264-269
• Main Authors: Morsi, Rania E., Alsabagh, Ahmed M., Nasr, Shimaa A., Zaki, Manal M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anti-Infective Agents - chemistry; Anti-Infective Agents - pharmacology; Antimicrobial characteristics; Bi-nanocomposites; Chitosan; Chitosan - chemistry; Copper - chemistry; Metal Nanoparticles - chemistry; Multifunctional nanocomposites; Nanocomposites - chemistry; Nanotubes, Carbon - chemistry; Particle Size; Silver - chemistry; Water disinfection; Water Purification - methods
• ISSN: 0141-8130; 1879-0003
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2017.01.032

[Display omitted] •Multifunctional nanocomposites of chitosan with silver nanoparticles, copper nanoparticles and carbon nanotubes were prepared.•The nanocomposites are highly differentiable at the low contact time and low concentration.•The multifunctional nanocomposite has a higher antimicrobial activity, in relative short contact times.•The prepared Multifunctional nanocomposite can act as a promising integral material for multi-contaminant water treatment. Multifunctional nanocomposites of chitosan with silver nanoparticles, copper nanoparticles and carbon nanotubes either as bi- or multifunctional nanocomposites were prepared. Change in the overall morphology of the prepared nanocomposites was observed; carbon nanotubes, Ag NPs and Cu NPs are distributed homogeneously inside the polymer matrix individually in the case of the bi-nanocomposites while a combination of different dimensional shapes; spherical NPs and nanotubes was observed in the multifunctional nanocomposite. Multifunctional nanocomposites has a higher antimicrobial activity, in relative short contact times, against both Gram negative and Gram positive bacteria; E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus; respectively in addition to the fungal strain; Aspergillus flavus isolated from local wastewater sample. The nanocomposites are highly differentiable at the low contact time and low concentration; 1% concentration of the multifunctional nanocomposite is very effective against the tested microbes at contact time of only 10min.