Nanocomposites and nanomaterials
 
Nanocomposite Hydrogels Containing Silver Nanoparticles as Materials for Wound Dressings
Nadtoka O., Kutsevol N., Kotko O.
Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. Volodymyrska Street, 64/13, Kyiv-01601, Ukraine. 
E-mail: oksananadtoka@ukr.net

Polymeric hydrogels are widely used in various fields related to medicine and biotechnology. Creating an hydrogel material, that meets a wide range of requirements for possible areas of application and has a relatively simple technology of obtaining, remains a problem that continues to attract attention. One of the urgent tasks for today is the creation of dressings for the treatment of wounds and burns, special requirements for which is the ability to absorb and hold the liquid, the possibility of drug transport, atraumaticity and antibacterial properties.
Synthesis of a number of chemically cross-linked hydrogels based on copolymers of acrylamide and dextran/dextran sulfate is presented. Copolymerization was carried out by a radical method in the presence of crosslinking agent N,N'-methylene-bis-acrylamide, taken at different concentrations. The oxidation-reduction system Ce(IV)/HNO3 was used as initiator, which allows to conduct polymerization reaction without additional heating [1]. 
Highly stable and uniformly distributed silver nanoparticles have been obtained with hydrogel networks as nanoreactors via in situ reduction of silver nitrate (AgNO3). 
The kinetics of hydrogel swelling, thermal degradation, thermal characteristics depending on the crosslinking agent concentration were studied. The internal structure was investigated by methods of scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis and DSC. It has been shown that the optimal properties in accordance with the task are hydrogels obtained at a concentration of a crosslinking agent of 0.2% and 0.4% of the mass of monomers.
Silver nanoparticle-based hydrogel offers considerable potential to relieve ulcers through its application as a wound dressing.

1. Kutsevol N., Bezugla T., Bezuglyi M., Rawiso M. Branched Dextran-graft-Poliacrylamide Copolymers as Perspective Materials for Nanotechnology. // Macromol. Symp. – 2012. – 317-318. – Р.82-90.