Synthesis of silver-doped silica-complex nanoparticles for antibacterial materials

Silver nanoparticles have been synthesized by liquid-phase and alcohol reduction methods. Silver-doped silica-complex nanoparticles were prepared using a sol-gel process. The formation, structure, morphology, and particle size of the nanoparticles have been studied using several techniques. Silver nanoparticles of size of 30-40 nm were formed successfully by alcohol reduction. TEM images show that both the concentration and the molecular weight of polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) considerably affect the size of the emerging silver nanoparticles. The number of silver-doped silica-complex particles increased by a mercapto-group treatment that showed a narrower size distribution than that of silica treated with amino groups. The silver/polyester and silver-doped silica/polyester masterbatch chips showed excellent antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli.