We report a novel approach for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (NPs) stabilized on polymer-wrapped carbon nanotubes (Ag@polymer/CNTs) for the non-enzymatic glucose sensing and antibacterial activity applications. Poly(styrene-alt-maleic anhydride) (PSM) was functionalized with amino furan to obtain furan-modified poly(styrene-alt-maleic anhydride) (PSMF), which was later grafted onto the surface of CNTs by Diels-Alder "click" reaction to afford a polymer/CNTs hybrid material. The photo-deposition technique was applied to immobilized small-sized (∼10 nm) AgNPs on the surface of the polymer/CNTs hybrid material using visible light irradiation. The resulting material, Ag@polymer/CNTs, showed promising electrocatalytic activity for the non-enzymatic glucose sensing and antibacterial activity in vitro assays toward Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Bacillus cereus bacteria strains. Covalent-bonded polymer layer-bearing carboxylic pendent groups to the CNTs might be playing a pivot role in not only stabilizing AgNPs but also facile electron-transfer reaction, thus demonstrating better activity.
© 2022 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.