Integrating silver compounds and nanoparticles into ceria nanocontainers for antimicrobial applications

Gagnon, Jacinthe; Clift, Martin J. D.; Vanhecke, Dimitri; Kuhn, Dagmar Alice; Weber, Pierric; Petri-Fink, Alke; Rothen-Rutishauser, Barbara; Fromm, Katharina M.

doi:10.1039/C4TB02079K

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Integrating silver compounds and nanoparticles into ceria nanocontainers for antimicrobial applications

Gagnon, Jacinthe Department of Chemistry and Fribourg Center for Nanomaterials, University of Fribourg, Switzerland
Clift, Martin J. D. Adolphe Merkle Institute and Fribourg Center for Nanomaterials, University of Fribourg, Switzerland
Vanhecke, Dimitri Adolphe Merkle Institute and Fribourg Center for Nanomaterials, University of Fribourg, Switzerland
Kuhn, Dagmar Alice Adolphe Merkle Institute and Fribourg Center for Nanomaterials, University of Fribourg, Switzerland
Weber, Pierric Department of Chemistry and Fribourg Center for Nanomaterials, University of Fribourg, Switzerland
Petri-Fink, Alke Adolphe Merkle Institute and Fribourg Center for Nanomaterials, University of Fribourg, Switzerland
Rothen-Rutishauser, Barbara Adolphe Merkle Institute and Fribourg Center for Nanomaterials, University of Fribourg, Switzerland
Fromm, Katharina M. Department of Chemistry and Fribourg Center for Nanomaterials, University of Fribourg, Switzerland

18.02.2015

Published in:

Journal of Materials Chemistry B. - 2015, vol. 3, no. 9, p. 1760–1768

English Silver compounds and nanoparticles (NPs) are gaining increasing interest in medical applications, specifically in the treatment and prevention of biomaterial-related infections. However, the silver release from these materials, resulting in a limited antimicrobial activity, is often difficult to control. In this paper, ceria nanocontainers were synthesized by a template-assisted method and were then used to encapsulate silver nitrate (AgNO₃/CeO₂ nanocontainers). Over the first 30 days, a significant level of silver was released, as determined using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). A novel type of ceria container containing silver NPs (AgNP/CeO₂ containers) was also developed using two different template removal methods. The presence of AgNPs was confirmed both on the surface and in the interior of the ceria containers by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Upon removal of the template by calcination, the silver was released over a period exceeding three months (>90 days). However, when the template was removed by dissolution, the silver release was shortened to ≤14 days. The antimicrobial activity of the silver-containing CeO₂ containers was observed and the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) was determined using the broth dilution method. Investigation on human cells, using a model epithelial barrier cell type (A549 cells), highlighted that all three samples induced a heightened cytotoxicity leading to cell death when exposed to all containers in their raw form. This was attributed to the surface roughness of the CeO₂ nanocontainers and the kinetics of the silver release from the AgNO₃/CeO₂ and AgNP/CeO₂ nanocontainers. In conclusion, despite the need for further emphasis on their biocompatibility, the concept of the AgNP/CeO₂ nanocontainers offers a potentially alternative long-term antibactericidal strategy for implant materials.

Faculty

Faculté des sciences et de médecine

Department

Département de Chimie

Language