Assessment of silica-based solid modified with recycled battery products to be applied in antimicrobial fabrics

IGAL, KATERINE; ARRECHE, ROMINA A.; JORGE E, SAMBETH; BELLOTTI, NATALIA; PATRICIA G, VÁZQUEZ

San José

Workshop; 7th Workshop on Green Chemistry and Nanotechnologies in Polymer Chemistry; 2016

CENAT - POLIUNA - UNA - LANOTEC

Microorganisms under appropriate conditions attach and grow on materials forming biofilms and carrying out the corresponding bio-deterioration. Fabric microbial bio-deterioration is considered hazardous to human health, especially in healthcare centers where acquired infections are one of the leading causes of death1. The increase in volume of urban waste, the simultaneous decline in available spaces and all the problems associated with pollution involved, are considered great importance issues. Therefore, it is very important that waste materials can be reused, for example, reuse the materials contained in batteries as carbon mixed with other oxides2.The purpose of this research was to obtain siliceous matrix doped with carbon from waste batteries, functionalized with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APS), and impregnated with silver nitrate to assess their antimicrobial activity. The microorganisms used in this study, Aspergillus sp., Cladosporium sp. and Chaetomium globosum were selected based on their cellulolytic ability determined in agar plate assays. Both Aspergillus sp. and Cladosporium sp. were previously isolated from biodeteriorated fabrics by conventional microbiological techniques while C. globosum belong to the CIDEPINT culture collection. Siliceous matrices were synthesized by the sol-gel method under N2 atmosphere using tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS - Si(OCH3)4), as precursor and glacial acetic acid as catalyst, adding carbon (C), in different concentrations (0.1, 1 and 10% (w/w) of C. These supports were functionalized with APS in relation to 1:1 and, subsequently, these were impregnated by incipient wetness technique with silver nitrate, resulting in 1 and 2% (w/w) of Ag in the dry solids3. These solids were characterized by techniques as SEM-EDX, TEM, XRD, FT-IR, SBET and potentiometric titration.The agar plate assays were carried out at different silver concentrations of 60 and 120 ppm. The best results of bioassay showed a degree of inhibition of 38% and 14% against Aspergillus sp. and C. globosum employing the solids with the higher concentration of carbon (10% (w/w)) and 2% (w/w) of Ag, respectively.In next steps modifications will be made in the synthesis of siliceous material to increase their effectiveness.