Silver-Silica Nanocomposite Materials Incorporated into Textile Fabrics: Chemical and Biological Study

Silver nanocomposite materials were prepared by hydrolysis and condensation of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS, Si(OC₂H₅)₄) in the presence of diamminesilver(I) cation ([Ag(NH₃)₂]⁺). The obtained materials were investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD). The morphology and size of silver nanoparticles inside the silica gel matrix were identified. TEM microphotographs of silica with nanosilver have shown that the particle size of the silver nanocomposite materials depends on the amount of nanosilver in the silica gel matrix. These materials were grafted on the surface of textile fabrics. Antimicrobial activity was studied by testing all obtained samples in vitro: gram-positive prokaryotes of the genus Staphylococcus (Staphylococcus aureus associated with skin and mucous membranes was used as test microbe) and gram-negative prokaryotes of the genus Escherichia (Escherichia coli associated with gastrointestinal mucosa was used as test microbe). The textile fabrics with different contents of silver nanocomposites have shown high antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus and E. coli bacteria. The results of the present work have proved the possibility of applying these materials in the textile industry and engineering process.