A Facile Approach to Incorporate Silver Nanoparticles into Dextran-Based Hydrogels for Antibacterial and Catalytical Application

Dextran hydrogel was prepared by the crosslinking reaction of dextran and N,N-methylenebisacrylamide in aqueous sodium hydroxide aqueous solution. Highly stable and uniformly distributed silver nanoparticles have been prepared using these hydrogel networks as a carrier via in situ reduction of silver nitrate without the addition of any reducing agent. The spherical silver nanoparticles with diameters of 20–30 nm were found to adopt a face centered cubic structure. The hydrogel hybrid with silver nanoparticles can be effectively employed as antibacterial and catalytic materials.