Ultrasound Synthesis of Polyindole-TiO2 Nanocomposite and Evaluation of Antibacterial Activity

The present work reports the synthesis and evaluation of antimicrobial activity of polyindole-TiO2 nanocomposite. Polyindole-TiO2 nanocomposite was synthesized by aqueous in situ chemical polymerization of indole using ammonium persulfate as an oxidant under ultrasonic condition. The synthesized polyindole and polyindole-TiO2 nanocomposites were characterized by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope, thermogravimetric analysis, and X-ray diffraction techniques. A sharp peak at approximate to 1,402cm(-1) is due to the stretching vibrations of OTiO bond in polyindole-TiO2 nanocomposite. The X-ray diffraction pattern shows the major diffraction peaks at 25 degrees C and 48 degrees C, indicating TiO2 in anatase form. Polyindole-TiO2 shows maximum activity against gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis as compared to gram-negative Escherichia coli