Antimicrobial membrane cellulose acetate containing ionic liquid and metal nanoparticles

Stable metallic Au(0), Ag(0) and Pt(0) nanoparticle-containing membrane films (20 microm thickness) were obtained by combining irregularly shaped nanoparticles of monomodal size distributions (11 +/- 1.5 nm Au(0), 8.9 +/- 2.1 nm Ag(0) and 2.8 +/- 0.4 nm Pt(0)) in the ionic liquid (IL) 1-n-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethane sulfonyl)imide (BMI x (NTf)2) with a syrup of cellulose acetate (CA) in acetone. The presence of small and stable Au(0), Ag(0) or Pt(0) nanoparticles induced an augmentation in the CA/IL film surface areas. The addition of the IL to the membrane resulted in an increase of its elasticity and a decrease in its tenacity and toughness, whereas its stress at break was not influenced. High antimicrobial activity was observed in membranes containing Au(0), Ag(0) and Pt(0) metal concentrations as low as 1 mg of metal per 5 g of CA. The CA/IL/nanoparticle combination enhanced the activity and durability of the metal nanoparticles and provided greater antimicrobial activity against E. coli and S. aureus bacteria.