Investigation of Mg(OH)2 nanoparticles as an antibacterial agent

Our experimental results of using Mg(OH)(2) nanoparticles as an antibacterial agent are reported in this study. The antibacterial behavior of Mg(OH)(2) nanoparticles in liquid culture and in paper sheets was investigated. The colony forming units (CFU) counting and the headspace gas chromatography (HS-GC) measurement were used to determine the cell viability. Results indicate that Mg(OH)(2) nanoparticles are effective antibacterial agent against Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Burkholderia phytofirmans, and the OH- and Mg2+ ions in Mg(OH)(2) water suspension were found not to be the reason for killing the bacteria. Mg(OH)(2) nanoparticles could be added directly to wood pulp to make paper sheets, whose antibacterial efficiency increased with the increase of the nanoparticle amount. The possible mechanism of antibacterial effect of Mg(OH)(2) nanoparticles is discussed.