Characterization and Antimicrobial Properties of Gamma Irradiated Starch/Chitosan/Ag Nanocomposites

Composites based on different ratios of starch and chitosan, in the presence of a constant amount of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), were prepared in the form of thin films by casting solutions. The gamma irradiated composites were characterized in terms of solution viscosity, FTIR, XRD, TGA and SEM. In addition, the antimicrobial activity of the prepared composites against different microorganisms was investigated. The results showed that the increase of irradiation dose more than 5 kGy leads to a decrease in the composite solution viscosity, the overall crystallinity, thermal stability and antimicrobial activity of the prepared films. The prepared starch based composites were applied to cotton samples to demonstrate the antimicrobial finishing. Acceptable antimicrobial results against both the tested pathogenic bacteria and in burial test were obtained.