Synthesis, Characterization of Cerium Oxide (CeO2) Nanoparticles of PVA/PVP blend based polymer nanocomposites for their antibacterial activity applications

This work aims to manufacture (PVA/PVP/ CeO₂) nanocomposite prepared from a Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) and Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) mixture with various concentrations of Cerium Oxide (CeO₂) nanoparticles to study effect of CeO₂NPs on a polymer matrix to evaluate its efficiency in inhibiting the growth of Gram-positive (Bacillus cereus) bacteria, which cause` food poisoning, and multidrug-resistant Gram-negative (Pseudomonas aeruginosa) strains, which cause pneumonia and study its effectiveness as a antibacterial agent. The obtained solutions analyzed for morphological and optical characterization using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis). The optical properties tested at wavelengths ranging from 290 nm to 790 nm and analysis show improved absorption of (PVA/PVP/CeO₂) nanocomposites, while their transmittance decreased. This results indicate polymer blend content CeO₂ NPs increases, the band gap decreases, with also of these particles, the optical properties of (PVA/PVP/CeO₂) nanocomposites are improved. Morphology and topography of nanocomposites also examined using powerful (AFM) microscopy techniques, various roughness parameters calculated, it is discovered diffusion of Ceo₂NPs in polymer blend leads to reduction in size PVA crystals, and transformation of surface morphology from smooth to porous and rough for nanocomposites. Inhibition zone values for B. cereus and P. aeruginosa bacteria increased with increasing ratio of CeO₂NPs in (PVA/PVP) blend. Finally, the results of this study demonstrate ability of composite nanomaterial containing CeO₂NPs to protect humans from diseases caused by these microbes.