Radiation synthesis of poly(N-vinyl pyrrolidone\chitosan\itaconic acid\ZnO) nanocomposite hydrogel for antimicrobial activity and controlled release of amoxicillin

High swellable and biocompatible hydrogel composed of optimized composition of N-vinyl pyrrolidone (NVP), chitosan (CS), and itaconic acid (ITA) was prepared by the aid of gamma radiation. Certain optimized composition of the terpolymer hydrogel was used as a precursor for the preparation of its ZnO nanocomposite. The terpolymer hydrogel was characterized by various techniques FTIR, XRD, SEM, and TEM to evaluate the physical, chemical properties and morphology of the prepared hydrogels. FTIR proved the high interaction between the components of the terpolymer crosslinked hydrogel. Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) confirmed the preparation of ZnO nanoparticles in the nanoscale with average particle size of 12.3 nm in the terpolymer matrix which is higher than the particle size of as prepared bare ZnO NPs. The gelability, crosslinking density, and high swellability of the prepared terpolymer hydrogel make it promising and suitable for application as wound dressing materials. In this respect, the NVP/ITA/CS terpolymer hydrogel first examined for controlled release of amoxicillin and second, the antibacterial test showed that neither Staphylococcus aureus nor Escherichia coli passed through the terpolymer nanocomposite hydrogel dressing; NVP/ITA/CS/ZnO nanocomposite hydrogel dressing could be considered a good blockade against bacteria. All results indicate that the nanocomposite hydrogel has great potential for biomedical applications, especially for wound dressings.