Silver nanoparticles dispersed in electrospun polyacrylonitrile nanofibers via chemical reduction

Silver (Ag) nanoparticles were prepared in PAN nanofibrous film by a sol–gel derived electrospinning and subsequent chemical reduction for 30 min in hydrazine hydroxide (N 2 H 5 OH) aqueous solution. Antimicrobial properties of the AgNO 3 /PAN precursor solution against gram positive Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538 and gram negative Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 were investigated. The formation of clear zone suggested that the PAN solution containing Ag + ions were effective on the inhibition of bacterial growth. The Ag/PAN nanocomposite film, characterized by XRD, TEM and UV absorption spectrophotometer, revealed that highly crystallized cubic Ag particles with diameters of less than 5.8 nm were dispersed homogeneously in PAN nanofibers.