Interfacially Interactive Ternary Silver-Supported Polyaniline/Multiwalled Carbon Nanotube Nanocomposites for Catalytic and Antibacterial Activity

Herein, a protocol strategy has been designed for the preparation of ternary silver nanoparticles-supported polyaniline multiwalled carbon nanotube (Ag NPs-PANI/MWCNT) nanocomposites with a chemical interaction for catalytic and antibacterial activity. The morphological study confirmed that Ag NPs were immobilized on the surface of PANI, and afterward, Ag NPs-PANI were mixed with the MWCNTs. The X-ray diffraction technique revealed the face-centered cubic structure of Ag NPs, and the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy study revealed the chemical constituent and signature of pi-pi* and C-N interactions in the nanocomposites. The ternary Ag NPs-PANI/MWCNTs nanocomposites have the apparent rate of reaction (K-app) as 5.4 x 10(-3) s(-1), higher than binary nanocomposites for catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol at room temperature. Antibacterial activity of Ag NPs-PANI/MWCNT nanocomposites is higher against pathogenic bacteria. Thereafter, because of multifold applications of ternary nanocomposites, they have a broad scope in the field of environmental and healthcare sectors.