Silver-decorated gel-shell nanobeads: physicochemical characterization and evaluation of antibacterial properties

• Marta Bartel,
• Katarzyna Markowska,
• Marcin Strawski,
• Krystyna Wolska and
• Maciej Mazur

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 620–630, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.49

• inhibitory (MBIC) concentrations are comparable to those of non-incorporated silver nanoparticles. Keywords: Escherichia coli; gel-shell particles; minimum biofilm inhibitory concentration (MBIC); minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC); nanocomposites; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; silver nanoparticles

• sulfonation, the –SO3H groups are substituted to the benzene rings of the polymer. In consequence, a gel layer of sulfonated polystyrene is formed around the intact polystyrene core. Such structures are called gel-shell particles (PSS) [20][21]. The gel layer is highly hydrophilic and contains negatively

• charged sulfonic groups. The gel shell can be utilized for the accumulation of cationic species, e.g., the accumulation of a monomer followed by further polymerization [2][22]. Polystyrene-based gel-shell particles have been also used for the accumulation of silver ions followed by their reduction to