Abstract
This article describes the synthesis of an electrically conducting silver/guar gum/poly(acrylic acid) nanocomposite hydrogel. The synthesis process started with grafting acrylic acid monomers onto the natural polymer guar gum by the use of ammonium persulphate as a free radical initiator in acid medium. Guar gum/poly(acrylic acid) graft copolymer was separated from the polymerization medium, purified and subjected to crosslinking treatment, using alkaline epichlorohydrin as a crosslinking agent. Silver nitrate solution was added during the crosslinking treatment in varying concentrations, that the reaction conditions affect crosslinking of guar gum/poly(acrylic acid) graft copolymer to a hydrogel, as well as reduction of silver nitrate to silver nanoparticles, giving rise to the formation of silver/guar gum/poly(acrylic acid) nanocomposite. Factors affecting the grafting reaction as well as those affecting the crosslinking/reduction treatment were optimized. The so synthesized nanocomposite hydrogel samples were fully characterized, regarding their contents of silver nanoparticles and swelling ratio. The electrical conductivity of the nanocomposite hydrogel was studied and it was found to be affected by the swelling ratio of the hydrogel as well as its content of silver nanoparticles.