New Azo-Schiff Base Ligand Capped Silver and Cadmium Sulfide Nanoparticles Preparation, Characterization, Antibacterial and Antifungal Activities

A novel azo-Schiff base ligand (L) was prepared by reacting 2-hydroxy-5-(pyridine-4-yldiazenyl)benzaldehyde with 1,2-phenylenediamine. Moreover, Silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) and Cadmium sulfide nanoparticles (CdS-NPs) were prepared using azo-Schiff base ligand (L) as capping and reducing agent. The solid-state fluorescence spectroscopy was used to investigate the interaction between L with one of the nanomaterials (CdS-NPs). The fluorescence studies showed that L suppresses the CdS-NPs fluorescence. The antibacterial and antifungal activities of the mentioned nanoparticles were determined against different bacteria and plant fungal strains and the obtained results were compared. The azo-Schiff base ligand (L) only exhibited antibacterial activity against B. cereus as Gram-positive bacterium. L-Ag-NPs had moderate to high antibacterial properties for both Gram-negatives and Gram-positives species. Moreover, L-CdS-NPs showed activity against B. cereus as a Gram-positive and E. coli as a Gram-negative bacterium. All the described compounds showed antifungal activity against the fungal strains tested.