Compósitos de polímero ramificado/óxidos metálicos para aplicações em fotocatálise heterogênea e agentes bactericidas

Abstract

Polypyrrole (PPy) is a conductive polymer of great technological interest which, synthesized through branched growth, acquires a large surface area compared to conventional PPy. In this thesis nanocomposites were prepared on the basis of the branched PPy so that, depending on the particulate dispersed phase, it could assume a photocatalytic or antibacterial character The polymer matrix synthesized in the work has a surface area of 97,38 m2/g, around four times greater than the conventional PPy found in the literature. When it is polymerized in the presence of zinc oxide (ZnO) and titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles, the resulting material has excellent photocatalytic activity against organic dyes, such as rhodamine B (80-85%) and rhodamine 6G (90%). In this study it was verified that the synergy between a branched matrix and as nanoparticles of ZnO and TiO2 allows an absorption of photons in the visible region and a lower electron/gap connection rate as a function of the minimum aggregate between particles in the matrix, being responsible by the high photocatalytic efficiency of the dyes. Despite its photocatalytic behavior in the form of a composite, the branched polypyrrole also has an antibacterial character that makes it a promising material for the contamination of aquatic environments by bacteria, including multiresistant bacteria, such as Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteria. This work evaluated the bactericidal activity of the branched polypyrrole as a function of its structural parameters, such as morphology and surface area, incorporation of additives, such as silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), and the aggregation levels of these in the polymer matrix. When in contact with the bacteria, the PPy/Ag composite adheres electrostatically to the negatively charged bacterial cell wall, promoting the adsorption of the polymer and diffusion of the nanoparticles along the cell wall, these bind to the cytoplasmic membrane allowing the release of intracellular components and loss of potassium ions (K+), resulting in the death of the microorganism. Thus, the branched polypyrrole and its combination in the form of composites with metal oxide particles, present a material with great potential for future applications as antibacterial filters and sponges for photodegradation of dyes.