Bactericidal, anti-biofilm, anti-oxidant potency and catalytic property of silver nanoparticles embedded into functionalised chitosan gel.

Chitosan is a versatile biocompatible polysaccharide which has attracted great attention for gel synthesis. Its reducing character is specifically exploited for nanoparticle synthesis via green approach. A silver nanocomposite synthesized using this gel, with a novel gelling agent 2,4,6-trihydroxy benzaldehyde, was found to be a promising candidate for several applications including anti-bacterial, anti-biofilm and anti-oxidant activity as well as catalysis. The nanocomposite was well characterized using various spectroscopic and microscopic techniques such as IR, TGA, XRD, XPS, SEM and TEM. The nanocomposite exhibited high bactericidal activity against both S. aureus and E. coli. Further, it was evaluated for anti-biofilm forming property and its potency as antioxidant agent. The nanocomposite served as a catalyst for degradation of Methyl Orange and Rhodamine B at high concentrations (in the range of mM) with a catalytic efficiency of 98.58 % and 99.56 % within 3 min and 5 min respectively.