The antimicrobial effect of silicon nanowires decorated with silver and copper nanoparticles
Ouarda Fellahi1, Rupak K Sarma, Manash R Das
1Institut de Recherche Interdisciplinaire (IRI, USR-3078), Université Lille1, Parc de la Haute Borne, 50 avenue de Halley, BP 70478, F-59658 Villeneuve d'Ascq, France. Unité de Développement de la Technologie du Silicium (UDTS), 2, Bd. Frantz Fanon, BP 140 Alger-7 merveilles, Algiers, Algeria. Laboratoire de Physique Quantique et Systèmes Dynamiques, Département de Physique, Université de Sétif, Sétif 19000, Algeria.
Abstract:
The paper reports on the preparation and antibacterial activity of silicon nanowire (SiNW) substrates coated with Ag or Cu nanoparticles (NPs) against Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria. The substrates are easily prepared using the metal-assisted chemical etching of crystalline silicon in hydrofluoric acid/silver nitrate (HF/AgNO3) aqueous solution. Decoration of the SiNWs with metal NPs is achieved by simple immersion in HF aqueous solutions containing silver or copper salts. The SiNWs coated with Ag NPs are biocompatible with human lung adenocarcinoma epithelial cell line A549 while possessing strong antibacterial properties to E. coli. In contrast, the SiNWs decorated with Cu NPs showed higher cytotoxicity and slightly lower antibacterial activity. Moreover, it was also observed that leakage of sugars and proteins from the cell wall of E. coli in interaction with SiNWs decorated with Ag NPs is higher compared to SiNWs modified with Cu NPs.
