ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Multifunctional polypyrrole@maghemite@silver composites: synthesis, physico-chemical characterization and antibacterial properties

Beata A. Zasońska, Udit Acharya, Jiří Pfleger, Petr Humpolíček, Jan Vajďák, Jan Svoboda, Eduard Petrovsky, Jiřina Hromádková, Zuzana Walterová, and Patrycja Bober

Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic

E-mail: zasonska@imc.cas.cz

Abstract: Maghemite (γ-Fe₂O₃) nanoparticles were synthesized by coprecipitation of ferrous and ferric salts with ammonia and oxidation with sodium hypochlorite. Polypyrrole (PPy) was obtained, by the chemical oxidative polymerization of pyrrole in an aqueous solution in the presence of iron oxide nanoparticles. The morphology of PPy was turned from globular to nanofibers by addition of dyes. The resulting PPy@γ-Fe₂O₃ hybrid composites were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, magnetic and electrical conductivity measurements and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Both the electrical conductivity and magnetic properties of the PPy@γ-Fe₂O₃ nanocomposites were controlled by the maghemite content due to the insulating properties of magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles added to the conducting polymer. Antibacterial activity of all materials was defined by determination of minimal inhibitory concentration. Antibacterial properties of native materials were improved by the reduction of silver ions from an aqueous solution to obtain PPy@γ-Fe₂O₃@silver composites. Due to the antibacterial properties of these composites, especially of those with silver particles, they can be considered for the applications where bacterial contamination can deteriorate the functionality of material.

Keywords: Polypyrrole ; Maghemite ; Silver ; Conductivity ; Magnetic properties ; Antibacterial activity 

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.1007/s11696-018-0429-3

Chemical Papers 72 (7) 1789–1797 (2018)