A green approach to synthesize silver nanoparticles in gelatin/poly(2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate-co-2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid) hydrogels with Verbascum Longipedicellatum extract and their antibacterial activity

This study aimed to explain the production and the characterization of gelatin/poly(2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate-co-2-Acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid), Gel/p(HEMA-co-AMPS), hydrogels including silver nanoparticles (AgNP) that were developed with a simple, cost-effective and environmentally-friendly process. Silver ions were added to the Gel/p(HEMA-co-AMPS) hydrogel matrix synthesized via free radical polymerization, and silver nanoparticles were developed by in-situ reduction of silver ions (Ag+) in the swollen hydrogel using Verbascum Longipedicellatum plant extract. The structure and morphology of the prepared nanocomposite hydrogel were confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy-energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (TEM-EDX), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). In addition, the swelling properties of hydrogels were investigated and AgNPs embedded in the hydrogel network were found to absorb more water, improving the swelling properties of hydrogels. Finally, the antibacterial activity of silver nanocomposites against S. aureus, E. faecalis, B. Subtilis, B. cereus, E. coli, P. aeruginosa as bacterial agents and C. albicans as fungal agent was examined. Therefore, the present study offers a multi-component hydrogel containing AgNPs with low-cost and environmentally-friendly fabrication process for application as bactericidal materials in biotechnology and biomedical fields.