Highly stable silver nanoparticles containing guar gum modified dual network hydrogel for catalytic and biomedical applications

Although many preparation methods have been reported till date, it is still a great challenge to prepare silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) that simultaneously possess high stability and enhanced applicability. We report a rapid and efficient synthesis of AgNPs containing polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-guar gum (GG) smart hydrogel composite, which exhibited pH-dependent swelling and enhanced mechanical strength. The AgNPs were synthesized in situ in the PVA-GG hydrogel from various concentrations of the AgNO3 precursor solution in the presence of NaBH4. Stable AgNPs (90 days) of 10 - 20 nm uniformly dispersed in PVA-GG hydrogel was obtained. Simultaneously, at the optimum concentration of AgNO3 (0.01 M), the tensile strength and elongation at break were enhanced by 74 % and 11 %, and swelling capacity was increased by 18 % as compared to PVA-GG hydrogel (control). The PVA-GG-AgNPs hydrogel composite exhibited excellent catalytic activity and antibacterial property, which makes them a suitable candidate for industrial applications.