Photochemical and antimicrobial properties of silver nanoparticle-encapsulated chitosan functionalized with photoactive groups.

Chitosan was functionalized with 4-((E)-2-(3-hydroxynaphthalen-2-yl)diazen-1-yl)benzoic acid by the coupling of the hydroxyl functional groups of chitosan with carboxylic acid group of the dye by DCC coupling method. The silver nanoparticles were prepared by sol-gel method of nanoparticle synthesis. Silver nanoparticle-encapsulated functionalized chitosan was prepared by the phase transfer method. The products were characterized by FTIR, UV-Vis, fluorescence and NMR spectroscopic methods and by SEM and TEM analysis. The photochemical properties of silver nanoparticle-encapsulated chitosan functionalized with 4-((E)-2-(3-hydroxynaphthalen-2-yl)diazen-1-yl)benzoic acid was studied in detail. The light-fastening properties of the chromophoric system was enhanced when attached to chitosan, and it can be further improved by the encapsulation of silver nanoparticles. The antibacterial analysis of silver nanoparticle-encapsulated functionalized chitosan was carried out against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli and against fungal species such as Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus terreus. This study showed that silver nanoparticles-encapsulated functionalized chitosan can be used for antibacterial and antifungal applications.