Interpenetrating PVA hydrogels with rGO-Ag nanoparticles: In vitro biocompatibility and antibacterial properties

Silver (Ag) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanoparticles (NPs) were integrated into a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) polymer matrix to develop nanocomposites. In a single step, rGO and AgNO₃ were synthesized using the hydrothermal method to make rGO-Ag NPs, which were subsequently incorporated. Based on that, rGO, rGO-Ag NPs, PVA-G, and PVAAgG hydrogels were synthesized, and PVA plays the role of a binding agent between graphene and Ag NPs. Various analytical methods confirmed that the Ag NPs deposited on rGO with strong physical interactions. Further, the hydrogels were fabricated by loading with graphene and rGO-Ag NPs (PVAAgG) hydrogels, proving that the materials are intact and stable. The high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) study explored the prepared small-sized Ag NPs (approximately 7–9 nm) with a crystalline structure and improved thermal properties, which is proved by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that the hydrogel formed with regular pores and was uniform. The hydrogel's contents were consistently distributed, as confirmed by elemental analysis using energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). In addition, the PVA-AgG hydrogel demonstrated biocompatibility with L929 fibroblast cells and superior antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Proteus mirabilis. This PVA-AgG hydrogel has great potential to improve fibrous network performance and solve present issues in the development of bioactive wound dressings.