Synthesis of spray dried polyvinyl pyrrolidone coated silver nanopowder and its application on wool and cotton for microbial resistance

Abstract

Silver nanoparticle - polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) composite containing 100 ppm of silver has been synthesized in powder form for textile applications, using sono-chemical method comprising sonication and reduction with trisodium citrate followed by spray drying. The synthesized PVP coated silver nanopowder is then characterized by UV-Visible spectra, atomic absorption spectra, transmission electron microscope and energy dispersive analysis of X-rays. The results indicate the presence of silver particle of the size 50-60 nm in the synthesized powder. The silver nanopowder has been applied on cotton and wool to impart antimicrobial efficacy by exhaustion method. The treated cotton fabric shows a clear microbial resistance with 35-40 mm zone of inhibition in the agar diffusion test against <i style="">Staphylococcus aureus</i>, <i style="">Escherichia coli</i> and <i style="">Pseudomonas</i> aeruginosa. The treated wool fabric shows 100%, 97% and 99% antimicrobial efficacy in the quantitative AATCC 100 test against the above-mentioned microorganisms respectively.