Preparation of organic–inorganic hybrid silica nanoparticles with contact antibacterial properties and their application in UV-curable coatings

Abstract

Abstract With the increasing requirements of antibacterial in various fields, it is necessary to create ultraviolet (UV)-curable coating with antibacterial properties by adding antibacterial agents to coating formulations. Therefore, it is crucial to promote the development of coatings designed with UV-curable addition agents that possess excellent antibacterial activity and suitable mechanical properties. In this study, a series of silica nanoparticles was developed with photo-cross-linking and antibacterial properties. The effects of various grafting ratios of photosensitive groups and antimicrobial function groups on the dispersity and antibacterial performance of nanoparticles were evaluated. The findings indicate that nanoparticles modified with quaternary ammonium species possess good dispersity and antibacterial ability. The series of functional silica nanoparticles, which act as organic–inorganic hybrid UV-curable antibacterial agents, was added to soybean oil-based UV-curable coating formulations. The basic coating properties of different species of nanoparticles were systematically investigated. Antibacterial tests of coatings were also conducted. With a proper grafting ratio of antimicrobial function groups on nanoparticles, the coatings exhibit excellent antibacterial activity and favorable mechanical properties, and thus show promise for application as antibacterial coatings.