Polyethyleneimine Capped Silver Nanoclusters as Efficient Antibacterial Agents

Dong Xu, Qingyun Wang, Tao Yang, Jianzhong Cao, Qinlu Lin, Zhiqin Yuan and Le Li
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Dong Xu: National Engineering Laboratory for Rice and By-Products Further Processing, Central South University of Forestry & Technology, Changsha 410004, China
Qingyun Wang: National Engineering Laboratory for Rice and By-Products Further Processing, Central South University of Forestry & Technology, Changsha 410004, China
Tao Yang: National Engineering Laboratory for Rice and By-Products Further Processing, Central South University of Forestry & Technology, Changsha 410004, China
Jianzhong Cao: National Engineering Laboratory for Rice and By-Products Further Processing, Central South University of Forestry & Technology, Changsha 410004, China
Qinlu Lin: National Engineering Laboratory for Rice and By-Products Further Processing, Central South University of Forestry & Technology, Changsha 410004, China
Zhiqin Yuan: State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
Le Li: Hunan Ehome Health Technology Inc., Buliding 6# 1715, LvDi Central Square, Yuelu District, Changsha 410023, China

IJERPH, 2016, vol. 13, issue 3, 1-11

Abstract: Development of efficient antibacterial agents is critical for human health. In the present study, we investigated the antibacterial activity of polyethyleneimine (PEI)-capped silver nanoclusters (PEI-AgNCs), based on the fact that nanoclusters normally have higher surface-to-volume ratios than traditional nanomaterials and PEI itself has a strong antimicrobial capacity. We synthesized stable silver nanoclusters by altering PEI molecular weight from 0.6 kDa to 25 kDa and characterized them by UV-Vis absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy and high resolution transmission electron microscopy. The sizes of AgNCs were around 2 nm in diameter and were little influenced by the molecular weight of PEIs. The antibacterial abilities of the four PEI-AgNCs were explored on agar plate and in liquid systems. Our results revealed that the antibacterial activity of PEI-AgNCs is excellent and the reduction of PEI molecular weight could result in the increased antibacterial capacity of PEI-AgNCs. Such proposed new materials might be useful as efficient antibacterial agents in practical clinical applications.

Keywords: silver nanoclusters; polyethyleneimine; antibacterial agent (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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