Development and Characterization of Antibacterial Polymer Blends Composed of PVA, PAAm, and PEG Integrated with Carbon Nanotubes

The PVA-PAAm-PEG polymer blends and their corresponding nanocomposite films were synthesized using the solution casting method, with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) added in varying concentrations of 0.005 g, 0.010 g, 0.015 g, and 0.020 g.Structural characterization was carried out through FTIR spectroscopy, which revealed that the interactions were predominantly physical, indicating the absence of new chemical bonds or interatomic interactions.SEM analysis confirmed this finding by demonstrating a uniform dispersion of CNTs within the polymer matrix.Through the evaluation of their absorption spectra over the 200-800 nm wavelength range, the optical properties were investigated.The results indicated a progressive increase in optical absorption with higher CNT concentrations.Concurrently, the optical band gap was observed to decrease from 4.8 eV to 3.6 eV.The refractive index similarly exhibited increasing levels of CNT incorporation.Both the dielectric constant and dielectric loss were found to increase with higher CNT concentrations, while they showed a decrease with higher applied electric field frequencies.On the contrary, AC conductivity demonstrated enhancement with increasing frequency, particularly at 102 Hz.Additionally, the antibacterial properties of the nanocomposites were tested against Escherichia coli (E.coli), revealing augmented antibacterial activity as the CNT concentration increased.This highlights the potential application of these nanocomposites in antimicrobial technologies.