Silver halide-MMT nanocomposites and their antibacterial properties

The activities of antibacterial compounds, such as silver halides AgX(X = Cl, Br, I), immobilized on montmorillonite (MMT), were tested on Escherichia coli bacteria. The AgX–MMT nanocomposites were synthesized by dispersing method and characterized by diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The structure of MMT did not change. The antibacterial activity of AgX –MMT nanocomposites was tested. The results of bacterial growth tests were confirmed by determination of the minimum inhibition concentrations (MICs). The antibacterial activities of prepared nanoparticles were found to be size-dependent. Nanocomposites indicated efficient antibacterial effect.

Keywords:

Silver halides , Montmorillonite , Antibacterial