Preparation and characterization of SiO₂/CMC/Ag hybrids with antibacterial properties

Amorphous hybrids based on sodium salt of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) containing silver nanoparticles were prepared by sol-gel method. The amorphous structure, morphology and antibacterial behavior were clarified. The thermal stability of obtained hybrids decreased with the increase in silver content from 0.5 to 1.5 wt%. Infrared spectra of the material suggest that the main interaction between the cellulose ether and silica network is via hydrogen bonds (bands at approximately 3,540 and 3,625 cm(-1)). According to UV-vis spectra the silver is present in two different states Ag(+) (absorption band at approximately 210 nm) and Ag(0) (band at approximately 300 nm). The different sizes of silver particles are present as clusters. It was demonstrated that these hybrids have a well pronounced antibacterial activity against B. subtilis and E. coli K12. Even the hybrid with 0.5 wt% Ag has efficient antibacterial activity for both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.