Abstract
P-Aminosalicylhydrazide has successfully been applied as a cross linker for the epoxy chitosan Schiff's base derivative. The aminosalicylhydrazide cross linked chitosan derivative was obtained by removing the benzaldehyde from its Schiff's base derivative to regain the primary amine groups of chitosan. Two biocomposites based on this derivative filled with multi walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) have been synthesized. Elemental analysis, FTIR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy observations have been employed to prove the structure of the synthesized derivatives. The results showed that the investigated derivatives are more potent against the examined bacteria and fungi than the parent chitosan. They exhibited higher activity against Gram-positive bacteria than against Gram-negative bacteria. Some of them showed comparable or even greater activity than the used reference bactericides or fungicides. Thus, combination between chitosan and the used functionalized moieties as well as MWCNTs in one system has greatly improved the chitosan characteristics, may be considered as a route for achieving promising systems for antimicrobial agents which are taken as appropriate candidates in biomedical fields.