In this work we investigated the antibacterial properties of differently shaped silver nanoparticles against the gram-negative bacterium Escherichia coli, both in liquid systems and on agar plates. Energy-filtering transmission electron microscopy images revealed considerable changes in the cell membranes upon treatment, resulting in cell death. Truncated triangular silver nanoplates with a {111} lattice plane as the basal plane displayed the strongest biocidal action, compared with spherical and rod-shaped nanoparticles and with Ag ؉ (in the form of AgNO 3 ). It is proposed that nanoscale size and the presence of a {111} plane combine to promote this biocidal property. To our knowledge, this is the first comparative study on the bactericidal properties of silver nanoparticles of different shapes, and our results demonstrate that silver nanoparticles undergo a shape-dependent interaction with the gram-negative organism E. coli.Over the past few decades, inorganic nanoparticles, whose structures exhibit significantly novel and improved physical, chemical, and biological properties, phenomena, and functionality due to their nanoscale size, have elicited much interest. Nanophasic and nanostructured materials are attracting a great deal of attention because of their potential for achieving specific processes and selectivity, especially in biological and pharmaceutical applications (5, 39).Discoveries in the past decade have demonstrated that the electromagnetic, optical, and catalytic properties of noble-metal nanocrystals are strongly influenced by shape and size (6,26). This has motivated an upsurge in research on the synthesis routes that allow better control of shape and size (18,34,41), with projected applications in nanoelectronics and spectroscopy (14,19,36).Recent studies have demonstrated that specially formulated metal oxide nanoparticles have good antibacterial activity (33), and antimicrobial formulations comprising nanoparticles could be effective bactericidal materials (11,12).Among inorganic antibacterial agents, silver has been employed most extensively since ancient times to fight infections and control spoilage. The antibacterial and antiviral actions of silver, silver ion, and silver compounds have been thoroughly investigated (28,29,37). However, in minute concentrations, silver is nontoxic to human cells. The epidemiological history of silver has established its nontoxicity in normal use. Catalytic oxidation by metallic silver and reaction with dissolved monovalent silver ion probably contribute to its bactericidal effect (17). Microbes are unlikely to develop resistance against silver, as they do against conventional and narrow-target antibiotics, because the metal attacks a broad range of targets in the organisms, which means that they would have to develop a host of mutations simultaneously to protect themselves. Thus, silver ions have been used as an antibacterial component in dental resin composites (15), in synthetic zeolites (22), and in coatings of medical devices (2).Recent literature r...