Antibacterial activity of chitosan coated Ag-loaded nano-SiO2 composites

A crosslinked chitosan (CCTS) coated Ag-loading nano-SiO2 composite (CCTS-SLS) was prepared. The structures of CCTS-SLS were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The antibacterial properties of CCTS-SLS were measured as the minimal inhibitory concentration and the rate of bacterial growth. The experimental results indicate that the antibacterial activity of CCTS-SLS was affected by the mass ratio of SLS to chitosan, acetic acid concentration and crosslinking time. Moreover, CCTS-SLS exhibited high antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus as a result of the coordinated action of CCTS and SLS. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.