The size-controllable preparation of chitosan/silver nanoparticle composite microsphere and its antimicrobial performance.

The control of chitosan/silver nanoparticle composite microsphere (CAgMs) size is crucial for tuning its function. In the current work, monodisperse organically-modified CAgMs with controllable size were synthesized using a two-step method. The fine-tuning of the microsphere size was confirmed by many reaction parameters while the cross-linking agent was the key research object. Through physical and thermodynamic analysis, we found the cross-linking agent-induced smaller size, higher silver concentration, more heightened glass transition temperature and stronger hydrogen bond network. The as-prepared microspheres exhibited strong bacteriostasis and fresh-keeping function depending on cross-linking agent concentration. The phenomenon is believed to be derived from the difference in microorganism adsorption and killing ability from induced varying specific surface area and encapsulated silver content. Our current work highlights the size-controllable preparation of CAgMs, and based on our findings, small size CAgMs can be a promising candidate in the field of antibacterial and fruit preservation applications.