Nanocomposite Hydrogels Containing Silver Nanoparticles as Materials for Wound Dressings

Hydrogel-silver nanocomposites are found to be excellent materials for antibacterial applications. For developing of these сomposites, the hydrogel matrices are synthesized first by polymerizing of acrylamide in the presence of cross-linker N,N-methylene-bis-acrylamide using redox initiating system cerium(IV) ammonium nitrate. Silver nanoparticles are generated throughout the hydrogel networks using in situ method by incorporating the silver ion sand subsequent reduction with sodium borohydride or UV irradiation. A series of hydrogel-silver nanoparticle composites are developed and are characterized by using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and UV–visible (UV–vis) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopic methods, as well as swelling.