Scientists at Moscow State University, working in the departments of macromolecular compounds and electrochemistry, have developed a new method for obtaining stabilized silver nanoparticles using radiation and photochemistry. These materials have a strong antibacterial effect, surpassing the properties of other polymer composites and nanocomposites. This work is part of the national project “Science and Universities” aimed at supporting scientific activity and education in Russia.
The production of biocidal coatings on various surfaces is widely based on the use of polymeric materials. Of particular interest are polymers with positively charged groups that have their own biocidal properties. This allows you to create flexible overlays that can interact with a variety of surfaces. They are water soluble, which makes them economical, environmentally friendly and non-flammable.
By binding and stabilizing metal nanoparticles in polyelectrolyte complexes, polymer functional groups can release metal ions into the environment in a controlled manner. Recent research has focused on creating biocidal materials with silver nanoparticles that don’t allow bacteria to adapt the way antibiotics do.
To obtain polymeric materials, the researchers used complexes of polyacrylic acid and polyethyleneimine, which can retain up to 20% silver ions. Polyethyleneamine imparts biocidal properties to the complexes. In addition, the radiation-chemical method was used for the first time in this study to obtain stabilized silver nanoparticles in complexes between polyelectrolytes. This nanoparticle synthesis method has great potential to produce contaminant-free nanocomposites.
The resulting silver nanoparticle coatings have a strong biocidal effect that exceeds the properties of polymer complexes. They can be used in the food industry, warehouses, stores and other places in the future. Further research will focus on the stability of coatings and their biocidal mechanism of action, as well as large-scale testing in production facilities.
Source: Ferra
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