Polypyrrole/Silver Nanocomposite: Synthesis, Characterization and Antibacterial Activity

Polypyrrole/silver (PPy/Ag)nanocomposite was synthesized by a chemical oxidative method. SEM and TEM analyses were performedfor studying the morphology of the nanocomposite. It was shown that the obtained nanocomposite particles have a spherical structure with the high surface area to volume ratio that is the important factor in the biological application. The particle sizes of the PPy/Ag were 15-25 nm obtained by TEM. The antibacterial property was assessed by disk diffusion method against gram-negative Escherichia coli and gram positive Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. The antibacterial mechanism of action for PPy/Ag nanocomposite was discussed. PPy/Ag showed antibacterial activity against S. aureus (5 +/- 0.5 mm) and E. coli (8 +/- 0.5 mm). Based on satisfactory antibacterial properties of PPy/Ag nanocomposite, it could be considered as a suitable material in biomedical applications.