ORIGINAL PAPER Synthesis and characterization of biofouling-resistant nanocomposites based on glucamine polymers and silver/acrylic acid nanoparticles Manuel Palencia 1 • Alexander Co ´rdoba 1,2 • Enrique Combatt 3 Received: 3 October 2017 / Revised: 27 December 2017 / Accepted: 29 January 2018 Ó Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2018 Abstract The objective of this work was to synthesize nanocomposites based on poly(N-vinylbenzyl-N-methyl-D-glucamine) and metallic nanoparticles, NP(VB- NMDG), from N-vinylbenzyl-N-methyl-D-glucamine (VbNMDG) and a polymer- izable nanostructured crosslinker (PNC). PNC was synthesized from silver nanoparticles stabilized with acrylic acid and added to polymer phase during free- radical polymerization of VbNMDG. The boron retention properties of NP(VB- NMDG) were evaluated in function of pH and ionic strength. In addition, antimi- crobial properties were evaluated against E. coli and S. aureus. Results evidenced that PNC can be synthesized by chemical reduction from Ag ? , BH 4 - and acrylic acid as stabilizing agent. In addition, PNC can be added during the polymerization reaction to obtain NP(VB-NMDG). Effect of pH on boron retention of nanostruc- tured polymer was significant only at low ionic strength (the order seen was pH 5.0 [ 7.0 [ 9.0). The ionic strength was identified to strongly decrease the boron retention by NP(VB-NMDG). Finally, NP(VB-NMDG) showed antimicrobial activity enhanced by incorporation of AgNPs. Keywords Silver nanoparticle Á Nanocomposite Á N-methyl-D-glucamine Á Boron & Manuel Palencia manuel.palencia@correounivalle.edu.co 1 Research Group in Science with Technological Applications (GI-CAT), Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Natural and Exact Sciences, Universidad del Valle, Street 13 N° 100-00, Campus Melendez, Cali 25360, Colombia 2 Mindtech Research Group (Mindtech-RG), Mindtech S.A.S, Cali, Colombia 3 Department of Agricultural Engineering and Rural Development, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Universidad de Co ´rdoba, Monterı ´a, Colombia 123 Polym. Bull. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00289-018-2286-1