Enhanced Biological, Thermal and Dielectric Properties of Polyvinyl Alcohol by a Methacrylate Polymer and Green Synthesized Silver Nanoparticles

Abstract Due to the increasing adverse environmental effects of synthetic polymers, the need for environmentally friendly alternative biomaterials is increasing daily. In this context, the synthesis of novel Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) -based composite materials was aimed. In this study, methacrylate-based poly(2-oxo-2-[4-(trifluoromethyl)anilino]ethyl-2-methylprop-2-enoate) (PTFMAM) polymer synthesized for the first time was blended with PVA by hydrothermal method. Biosynthesized silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) were added to the PTFMAM-PVA blend using the hydrothermal method. Nanocomposites were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, and FTIR. The thermal stability of nanocomposites was determined by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and glass transition temperatures (Tg) were determined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) techniques. According to TGA data, the thermal stability of PVA was improved by blending with PTFMAM and loading with Ag NPs. While the Tg of PVA and PTFMAM-PVA were 78 °C and 103 °C, this value increased to 116 °C with 7% Ag NP loading. The dielectric properties of the nanocomposites also increased with the loading of Ag NPs. Ag NPs loading also decreased the solubility of PVA in water. Combining PVA with PTFMAM and Ag NP increased the oxidant/antioxidant activity. At the same time, increases in the antimicrobial activities of the nanocomposites were observed. The inhibition zones of the nanocomposites against E. coli, S. aureus , and C. albicans strains were between 8.56 and 15.08 mm. The results showed that PVA equipped with synthetic PTFMAM and biosynthesized Ag NPs caused improvements in thermal, dielectric, and biological properties. The produced PTFMAM-PVA/Ag nanocomposites showed that they could be alternative materials in areas where PVA is frequently used with their improved properties.