Antibacterial Activity of Polymer Blend Nanocomposites with the Incorporation of Bentonite and Gold Nanorods

Polyvinyl alcohol/casein blend has been combined with bentonite and gold nanorods to prepare nanocomposite films. Gold nanorods have been synthesized using the seedless technique and have been characterized using the scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy techniques. The efficient incorporation of the nanoparticles in the matrix of the polymer blend has been confirmed by the UV‒Vis and FTIR spectroscopy. The nanocomposites also displayed an increase in thermal stability and they have been tested for their antibacterial efficacy against five bacterial strains (Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumonia). The results indicate that the antibacterial properties of these films have been enhanced to a great extent by the incorporation of minimal amount of gold nanorods into the polymer blend matrix.