Multifunctional green nanocomposites of poly(GMA-co-MA)/nanoclay with Ag/Zn nanoparticles bioreduced using Morus alba extract for dye removal and antibacterial activity

This work investigates the development of a series of functional nanocomposites based on nanoclay and a copolymer (PGM), synthesized via in situ radical polymerization of glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) and maleic anhydride (MA). Four formulations (NC-10, NC-30, NC-60, and NC-85) with increasing polymer content were prepared to evaluate their adsorption and antimicrobial properties. The preservation of anhydride groups was designed to enhance cationic dye affinity, achieving a maximum methylene blue (MB) adsorption capacity of 294.12 mg g −1 (Langmuir model) for NC-10 within just 20 min. To introduce antibacterial functionality, Ag, Zn, and AgZn nanoparticles were biosynthesized using mulberry leaf (MNPs) extract and incorporated into the NC-10 matrix. Structural and morphological characterizations were performed using FTIR, XRD, XPS, SEM, and EDS analyses. The incorporation of MNPs slightly decreased the MB adsorption capacity while introducing antibacterial activity, with inhibition zones ranging from 12 to 25 mm against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. These results demonstrate the potential of the developed NC-10/MNPs as multifunctional materials for simultaneous dye removal and antimicrobial applications.