TY - JOUR AU - Nadtoka, O. AU - Kutsevol, N. AU - Bezugla, T. AU - Virych, P. AU - Naumenko, A. PY - 2020/05/11 Y2 - 2024/03/29 TI - Hydrogel-Silver Nanoparticle Composites for Biomedical Applications JF - Ukrainian Journal of Physics JA - Ukr. J. Phys. VL - 65 IS - 5 SE - Physics of liquids and liquid systems, biophysics and medical physics DO - 10.15407/ujpe65.5.446 UR - https://ujp.bitp.kiev.ua/index.php/ujp/article/view/2020010 SP - 446 AB - <p>Polyacrylamide and dextran-graft-polyacrylamide hydrogels are prepared and used as nanoreactors and networks for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). Photochemical generation of AgNPs is carried out under UV-irradiation of Ag<sup>+</sup> ions in swollen hydrogels of different cross-linking densities. The obtained hydrogels and hydrogel/AgNPs composites are characterized by TEM, FTIR, and UV–Vis spectroscopy. Swelling studies have shown a relationship between the structure of the hydrogels and their ability to swell. It is shown that the presence of AgNPs in the polymer network leads to a decrease of the swelling capacity. An increase in the cross-linking density leads to an expansion of the AgNPs size distribution for both types of hydrogels. All synthesized hydrogel-silver nanoparticle composites have shown a high activity in the growth retardation of <em>Staphylococcus aureus</em> microorganisms.</p> ER -