Silver cloth can kill bacteria for 10 minutes

With the ability to kill bacteria, silver has played an important role in the development of anti-bacterial materials and is now commonly used applications such as keyboard coatings, water filtration systems, washing machines and refrigerators. .

Today, the antimicrobial properties of silver continue to be exploited by a team of researchers from RMIT University (Australia). RMIT has developed an anti-bacterial fabric with the ability to kill E. coli and other infectious bacteria after a 10-minute exposure, in collaboration with CSIRO scientists.

This fabric was developed by dipping a set of silver-tetracyanoquinodimethane (N-acetate) nanoparticles into a cotton cloth. After being coated in a silver solution, the nanofiber strands begin to release silver ions to kill the bacteria when they "touch".

"Fabrics can be made from almost any material such as cotton or nylon," said Vipul Bansal, an associate professor at RMIT's Applied Sciences School . I created a short-sleeved shirt and dipped it in silver solution under controlled conditions to activate the nanofibers, which then destroyed the bacteria within 10 minutes of exposure. "

In addition to the natural quickness of the fabric, Bansal also emphasized that its durability is a potential advantage over other antibacterial fabrics. "In our method, the nanofibres are slowly dissolved and this extends the life of the material," he said. "In our study, we observed that after the fabric was immersed in the solution, Silver ions responsible for killing bacteria are released after five days. "

Bansal said that these materials hold great potential to minimize the possibility of infection in hospitals through applications such as bed linen and surgical aprons. In addition, the material can also be used to create antibacterial fabric and tape with the ability to kill bacteria in the wound, helping to heal wounds more quickly.

At present, the team will shift attention to establishing a safe hospital environment with antibacterial materials. "We have created nanofibers toxic to bacteria and in the next phase it will be tested for toxins against human cells." Research by RMIT University has just been published in the journal Advanced Functional Materials.