Silver nanoparticles directly formed on natural macroporous matrix and their anti-microbial activities

In this study, silver nanoparticles were formed on a natural macroporous matrix, the stem of rice-paper plant, by reducing Ag+ in aqueous solution through in situ processing without using any other stabilizers. The pores of the matrix, with their size of about 100 mu m, were thought to act as reaction compartments for the nucleation and growth of silver nanoparticles, and the control of nucleation of silver crystal during the reduction reaction was found to be important to the successful formation of nanosized silver particles onto the matrix. The diameter and amount of resultant silver particles can be controlled by changing the reaction conditions. Under optimized conditions, the content of silver particles in the matrix can reach as high as 1.8 wt% with the particle diameters being kept below 100 nm. The anti-microbial activities in terms of minimum inhibitory concentration ( MIC) for the silver nanoparticle composites against Escherichia coli and Candida albicans were assayed in agar gel, and the results show that MIC values for silver nanoparticle composites are 14.1 mg( Ag) l(-1) and 28.1 mg( Ag) l(-1) for Escherichia coli and Candida albicans respectively, which are comparable to the value for colloidal nanosilver.