Copper Nanoparticles Doped on Polyvinyl Alcohol/Polymethyl Methacrylate/Montmorillonite (PVA-PMMA/MMT) as Ecofriendly Polymeric Hybrid Clay Composites: Study of their Bactericidal and Physical Properties

This paper reports the synthesis, physical and antibacterial properties of a new type of copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) on activated PVA/PMMA/montmorillonite (MMT) polymeric clay composites. These materials were synthesized by ecofriendly solvent evaporation technique wherein the CuNPs were prepared via the green route. The prepared polymeric nanohybrid was characterized using various analytical techniques. The UV–Vis spectral data analyses revealed that the direct optical band gap energy (DBGE) can be tuned from deep UV to visible region (4.70–2.75 Ev) by controlling the CuNPs loading, indicating their potential uses as optoelectronic gears. The XRD analysis confirmed a strong interaction between CuNPs and polymeric clay composite. The Young’s modulus of the composites was highest (2503.2 MPa) at lowest CuNPs doping content. The water contact angle (WCA) values were increased from 19^ο (for PVA/PMMA) to 51^ο (PVA/PMMA/CuNPs), indicating an improvement in the composite’s hydrophobicity due to CuNPs loading. In addition, these composites displayed excellent bactericidal activity. Based on the results of WCA, DBGE and antibacterial performance, it was asserted that the proposed nanohybrids can be highly valuable for the food packaging industry.