Abstract
Antimicrobial materials with immobilized/entrapped silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are of considerable interest. There is significant debate on the mode of bactericidal action of AgNPs, and both contact killing and/or ion mediated killing have been proposed. In this study, AgNPs were immobilized on an amine-functionalized silica surface and their bactericidal activity was studied concurrently with the silver release profile over time. This was compared with similar studies performed using colloidal AgNPs and AgCl surfaces that released Ag ions. We conclude that contact killing is the predominant bactericidal mechanism and surface immobilized nanoparticles show greater efficacy than colloidal AgNPs, as well as a higher concentration of silver ions in solution. In addition, the AgNP immobilized substrate was used multiple times with good efficacy, indicating this immobilization protocol is effective for retaining AgNPs while maintaining their disinfection potential. The antibacterial surface was found to be extremely stable in aqueous medium and no significant leaching (∼1.15% of total silver deposited) of the AgNPs was observed. Thus, immobilization of AgNPs on a surface may promote reuse, reduce environmental risks associated with leaching of AgNPs and enhance cost effectiveness.
Highlights
The concept of using silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) as an antimicrobial agent has been widely documented and signi cant research has been published recently.[1,2,3] AgNPs are known to possess oligodynamic action, can kill antibiotic-resistant microbes,[1] and have low cytotoxicity towards mammalian cells.[2]
Silver nanoparticles are used for medical applications as coatings in bone prostheses and surgical devices, as well as silver impregnated catheters, infusion systems and dental composites.[4,5]
The observed zeta potential value (À29.3 mV) for the citrate capped silver nanoparticles is close to the values reported in the literature for stable nanoparticle suspensions comprised of nanoparticles with a negative charge on their surface.[30]
Summary
The concept of using silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) as an antimicrobial agent has been widely documented and signi cant research has been published recently.[1,2,3] AgNPs are known to possess oligodynamic action, can kill antibiotic-resistant microbes,[1] and have low cytotoxicity towards mammalian cells.[2] Nowadays, silver nanoparticles are used for medical applications as coatings in bone prostheses and surgical devices, as well as silver impregnated catheters, infusion systems and dental composites.[4,5] In addition, there are numerous consumer products utilizing the antimicrobial properties of AgNPs, such. There are certain challenges that may restrict their maximal use as an efficient antimicrobial agent. For practical antibacterial applications, immobilized nanoparticles could be a promising approach to ensure cost effectiveness by facilitating recovery of AgNPs12,13 and enabling them to be reused multiple times
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