Effect of Adding Silver Nanoparticles on Structural and Microscopic Properties of PAAm-PEG Polymer Blend

Silver nanoparticles (Ag) are of interest because of the unique properties (e.g., size and shape depending optical, electrical, and magnetic properties) which can be incorporated into antimicrobial applications, biosensor materials, composite fibers, cryogenic superconducting materials, cosmetic products, and electronic components. Silver nanoparticles are extensively used for biomedical applications due to the antibacterial and antiviral properties. Polymer blend films were prepared by mixing of polyacrylamide (PAAm) and polyethylene glycol (PEG 4000), with different contents of Ag nanoparticles by casting method. The diffusions of Ag nanoparticles within the mixture were examined using optical microscopy. The optical microscopic images showed that good` diffusions of nanoparticles with some agglomerations. Analysis of the structural properties is the focus of this research for polymer nanoparticles (PAAm-PEG-Ag) films and the study of the effect of the nanomaterial and its diffusion on the mixture.