The concentration and Brønsted acidity of surface silanol groups on mesoporous silica (SBA-15) has been studied by following the adsorption of benzylamine, BA, from water as a function of pH. The adsorbed amount of BA from water was compared to the maximum amount of BA that could be adsorbed from cyclohexane. Furthermore, the surface concentration and acidity of carboxylic acid functions on surface-functionalized SBA-15 was also studied, which allowed the relative surface concentration of remaining silanols to be obtained. Two types of silanols can be identified, where about 1/5 of the silanols have a pKa

A simple method for surface functionalization of large-pore mesoporous silica by hyperbranching polymerization resulting in a high loading of amine groups is presented.

The ascending anxiety regarding antimicrobial resistance as well as the recalcitrant nature of biofilm-associated infections call for the development of alternative strategies to treat bacterial diseases. Nanoparticles have been considered as one of the emerging and promising platforms in this respect. Their unique physical and chemical properties may lead to fine-tuned interactions between them and bacteria. In this chapter, we aim to provide an overview on the use of nanoparticles as antimicrobial agents. Both antibacterial and anti-biofilm activities of nanoparticles and their current approaches will be reviewed. The in vitro methods that are used to evaluate the potency of nanoparticles as antimicrobial agents will be discussed in detail.

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