Antimicrobial Activity of Silver Nanoparticles on Pseudomonas aeruginosa: Influence of Particle Size Controlled through Mixed Current

The antibacterial behaviour of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) on polyurethane (PU) catheter substrate was demonstrated in the present study. The deposition of AgNPs on PU was developed using the electroless deposition method. Controlling the size of sliver particles on PU and analysing the usage of PU containing AgNPs as an effective antibacterial and antiviral candidate with minimal cytotoxic effects on the cells were the aim of this study. The superimposed partial anodic and cathodic polarization curves under respective parametric conditions were studied in order to control the size by using the mixed current value(.) The interaction of AgNPs-deposited PU with Pseudomonas aeruginosa caused a significant effect on the antibacterial activity. The AgNPs-deposited PU materials were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The deposited AgNPs were found to be agglomerated, but poly-dispersed and crystalline in nature. The average size of the deposited particles was around 48-1580 nm. P. aeruginosa produced an inhibition zone having a diameter in a range of 15.8-18.0 nm. The bacterial growth was suppressed in the presence of a lower agglomerated size of silver particles. These results conclusively proved the importance of the knowledge of role of the mixed current in electroless deposition to control the size and the deposited AgNPs on PU as antimicrobial agents/material for therapeutic purposes in medical applications.