Abstract
A simple technique based on doping polymers with in situ generated silver nanoparticles (Ag/PS films) has been developed. In particular, an antiseptic material has been prepared by dissolving silver 1,5‐cyclooctadiene‐hexafluoroacetylacetonate in amorphous polystyrene, and the obtained solid solution has been heated for ca. 10 s at a convenient temperature (180°C). Under such conditions the metal precursor decomposes producing silver atoms that diffuse into the polymer and clusterize. The antimicrobial characteristics of the resulting polystyrene‐based material have been accurately evaluated toward Escherichia coli (E. coli) comparing the cytotoxicity effect of 10 wt.% and 30 wt.% (drastic and mild annealing) silver‐doped polystyrene to the corresponding pure micrometric silver powder. Two different bacterial viability assays were performed in order to demonstrate the cytotoxic effect of Ag/PS films on cultured E. coli: (1) turbidimetric determination of optical density; (2) BacLight fluorescence‐based test. Both methods have shown that silver‐doped polystyrene (30 wt.%) provides higher antibacterial activity than pure Ag powder, under similar concentration and incubation conditions.
Highlights
In recent years noble metal nanoparticles have been the subjects of many researches due to their unique electronic, optical, mechanical, magnetic, and chemical properties significantly different from those of bulk materials [1]
Polymer-embedded metal nanoparticles represent a very simple and convenient way to use such nanostructures and some chemical and physical techniques are available for preparing these materials, the most important approaches are usually based on the in situ thermolysis of metal precursors [2]
According to the thermogravimetric analysis performed in air at 10◦/min, weight loss of organic byproduct is visible at 150◦C, and a residual weight of 25%, which exactly corresponds to the formation of zero-valent silver, resulted
Summary
In recent years noble metal nanoparticles have been the subjects of many researches due to their unique electronic, optical, mechanical, magnetic, and chemical properties significantly different from those of bulk materials [1]. These special and unique properties could be attributed to the small size and the large specific surface area characterizing these systems. Under proper temperature and humidity conditions, plastics can be a good medium for the generation and the propagation of microorganisms which can cause irritations and infections. The mechanism of antibacterial action of silver ions is closely related to their interaction with proteins, at thiol groups
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