A novel dual thermo- and pH-responsive silver nanocomposite hydrogel as a drug delivery system

The purpose of this study was to develop a novel dual thermo- and pH-responsive silver nanocomposite hydrogel (SNH) for drug release applications. This smart SNH was prepared in a facile one-pot method by in situ reduction of silver ions in salep solution and then grafting of poly(vinylpyrrolidone-co-acrylic acid) onto it. The SNH was characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (SEM–EDAX), thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), UV–Vis spectroscopy, and cyclic voltammetry. The dependence of swelling properties of the prepared SNH on the reaction variables (such as monomer, Ag NO3, and cross-linker concentrations), temperature, pH, and salt was investigated. The potential of obtained SNH was examined for the deferasirox release from prepared hydrogel under different temperatures and pHs. The evaluation of release mechanism and determination of diffusion coefficients were also studied. In addition, SNH showed good antibacterial potentials. The results of this study provide valuable information regarding the development of dual stimuli-sensitive SNH for biomedical applications.