Study Effect of nAg Particle Size on the Properties and Antibacterial Characteristics of Polysulfone Membranes

Abstract

Polysulfone ultrafiltration membranes were fabricated using various sizes (20, 40, and 90–210 nm) of silver nanoparticles (nAg) blended in a dope solution. To characterize the performance and properties of the prepared membranes, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), water contact angle, protein separation, water flux, and antibacterial tests were conducted. The characterization results revealed that when nAg particles (20 nm) were blended into the base polymer PSF, the PSF/nAg blended membrane had the lowest contact angle (58.5°) and surface energy (110.7 mN/m). When experimenting with ultrafiltration using protein solutions, bare PSF and PSF/nAg-20 blended membranes gave similar values of protein rejection: 93% of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and 70% of lysozyme rejection. Furthermore, SEM studies showed that the surface pore size was reduced by adding 20 nm nAg particles in the casting solution. Most importantly, the introduction of 40 nm nAg particles reduced the growth of bacterial colonies on the membrane surface by up to 72%. These findings revealed that nAg particles are expected to be a potential modifier for the fabrication of an ultrafiltration membrane.

Ag Nanoparticles for Biomedical Applications—Synthesis and Characterization—A Review

“…As well as the antibacterial effect, the size of Ag NPs was studied in the fabrication of the polysulfone ultrafiltration membrane. In a recent study of Prihandana et al [ 45 ], Ag NPs in three dimensions were integrated in the membrane phase inversion fabrication method in order to observe the effects on the pore dimensions and the hydrophilicity of the final material. The contact angle analysis performed showed that, by comparing the control with the three membranes based on Ag NPs, the hydrophilicity is improved when the smallest nanoparticles (20 nm) are integrated.…”

“…The contact angle analysis performed showed that, by comparing the control with the three membranes based on Ag NPs, the hydrophilicity is improved when the smallest nanoparticles (20 nm) are integrated. The size-dependent aspect was also proved in the evaluation of the antimicrobial activity of the membranes, where Ag NPs at 20 nm and 40 nm showed better bactericidal effects compared with the ones found in 90–210 nm [ 45 ].…”

Antibiotic-Loaded Polymeric Barrier Membranes for Guided Bone/Tissue Regeneration: A Mini-Review

“…Other manufacturing techniques as supercritical CO 2 -assisted processes, 3D printing, porogen leaching, gas foaming, phase separation, or any possible combination between these may also be employed for polymeric membrane preparation [ 63 , 64 ]. Among these techniques, the phase separation process is easy to execute and does not require sophisticated equipment.…”

Low Concentrations of Silver Nanoparticles Inhibit Spore Germination and Disturb Gender Differentiation of Ceratopteris thalictroides (L.) Brongn

“…Previous studies have indicated that the toxicity of AgNPs was related to their particle size, and small particles were more toxic to organisms [ 9 , 20 , 33 ]. In our experiments, the core size of AgNPs did not change significantly, while the hydrodynamic diameter increased in 10% of Hoagland’s solution, indicating an AgNP aggregation in the solution.…”

“…Due to their excellent antibacterial properties, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are widely used in various fields, including antibacterial coatings, medical machinery, cosmetics, clothing, food packaging, plastic products, detergent, paint, and some porous structures [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 ]. In the process of production, application, and recovery, AgNPs can be discharged into environments in many ways.…”