Silver-Containing Nanodispersions on the Basis of Polymer Derivatives of Aromatic Amino Acids: Synthesis, Morphology, Spectral Characteristics, and Antimicrobial Activity

Nanodispersions based on silver nanoparticles (Ag0) are synthesized In the presence of polymer complexones (copolymers of N-vinylpyrrolidone (VP) with p-methacryloylaminobenzoic (MABA-Na) and p-methacryloylaminosalicylic acid (MASA-Na)). The spectral and morphological characteristics of the nano-dispersions are investigated using ultraviolet (UV) spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy (AFM); the minimum energy (Eg) of electron transfer from the valence band to the conduction band of the metal is estimated; and the influence of the nature of the chelate unit on the band gap Eg, as well as on the size of spherical nanoparticles is shown. The reduction of silver ions in water in the presence of copolymers VP-MABA-Na and VP-MASA-Na, due to fairly good screening, makes it possible to obtain spherical nanostructures with a diameter not exceeding 200 nm. In the case of Ag0/VP-MASA-Na, massive dense oval-shaped aggregates are formed, which consist of small densely packed nanostructures. The silver-containing dispersions Ag0/VPрMABA-Na and Ag0/VP-MASA-Na tested against E. coli, P. aeruginosa, and S. aureus bacteria show pronounced antimicrobial activity, significantly superior to the activity of the reference drug, Protargol.