Polyvinyl Alcohol/Polyaniline/ZnO Nanocomposite: Synthesis, Characterization and Bactericidal Property

In this study, a new nanocomposite based on Polyvinylalcohol/Polyaniline/Zinc oxide (PVA/PANi/ ZnO) was successfully synthesized. ZnO powder was used to produce its nanoparticles (NPs) using conventional method. PVA/PANi composite was used to produce ZnO NPs. Polyaniline was synthesized in sol solution of PVA in the presence of ammonium persulphate. Morphology and the size of ZnO NPs in nanocomposites were studied via Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X-ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis and Infrared (IR) spectroscopy. According to XRD results, the average size of prepared ZnO NPs was found to be at the range 22 - 34 nm. SEM images were shown hexagonal shape for ZnO NPs, which was used for the investigation of antibacterial property. Finally, the antibacterial activity of the prepared ZnO NPs and nanocomposites was evaluated against two bacteria of Gram positive Staphylococcus aureus and Gram negative Escherichia col using paper disc diffusion method. The results were shown that the prepared nanocomposites were effective against two bacteria.