Abstract
Silver (Ag) particles have sparked considerable interest in industry and academia, particularly for health and medical applications. Here, we present the “green” and simple synthesis of an Ag particle-based silicone (Si) thin film for medical device applications. Drop-casting and peel-off techniques were used to create an Si thin film containing 10–50% (v/v) of Ag particles. Electro impedance spectroscopy (EIS), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), and tensile tests were used to demonstrate the electrical conductivity, crystallinity, morphology-elemental, and mechanical properties, respectively. The oriented crystalline structure and excellent electronic migration explained the highest conductivity value (1.40 × 10−5 S cm−1) of the 50% Ag–Si thin film. The findings regarding the evolution of the conductive network were supported by the diameter and distribution of Ag particles in the Si film. However, the larger size of the Ag particles in the Si film resulted in a lower tensile stress of 68.23% and an elongation rate of 68.25% compared to the pristine Si film. The antibacterial activity of the Ag–Si film against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Bacillus cereus (B. cereus), Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) was investigated. These findings support Si–Ag thin films’ ability to avoid infection in any medical device application.
Highlights
Silver particles (Ag) or silver ions (Ag+ ) have been used as agents to combat bacterial infection through the incorporation of Ag into hundreds of healthcare and medical products [1,2,3,4]
The present study describes the synthesis of Ag particles and the fabrication of silicone–silver (Si–Ag) thin films, wherein different key analyses were performed to characterise their crystalline, morphological, conductivity, and mechanical properties
Our study showed that Ag particles could be produced when subjected to the DMSO solvent as the reducing agent at room temperature without any additional additives
Summary
Silver particles (Ag) or silver ions (Ag+ ) have been used as agents to combat bacterial infection through the incorporation of Ag into hundreds of healthcare and medical products [1,2,3,4]. Ag has arisen as an excellent alternative because it can be applied to prevent infections caused by bacteria, decontaminate medical supplies, and even tackle infections in course. Properties such as low cytotoxicity and stability in human immunological response make Ag well-suited for medical applications such as coating, catheters, medicine, cosmetics, and dental implants [7,8,9,10,11]. Ag was found to occupy a prominent place in human personal care products such as razors, contact lenses, and textiles while remaining compatible with any combination of substrates [12]
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