Vaterite-nanosilver hybrids with antibacterial properties and pH-triggered release

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Ferreira, A.M., Vikulina, A., Cave, G.W.V. ORCID: 0000-0002-4167-1332, Loughlin, M., Puddu, V. ORCID: 0000-0001-5079-5508 and Volodkin, D. ORCID: 0000-0001-7474-5329, 2023. Vaterite-nanosilver hybrids with antibacterial properties and pH-triggered release. Materials Today Chemistry, 30: 101586. ISSN 2468-5194

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Official URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mtchem.2023.101586

Abstract

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have been used for over a century in various applications due to their distinctive properties. Nonetheless, the poor stability of AgNPs and adverse effects on living organisms have driven the search for materials able to protect and better control their release. Vaterite CaCO3 crystals have been studied in the last two decades as carriers for different drugs due to their biocompatibility, easy synthesis and pH-sensitive properties. Herein, AgNPs were loaded into vaterite to protect, store, and control their release, resulting in CaCO3/AgNPs hybrids. To tune the release of the AgNPs, the recrystallization of the hybrids into thermodynamically more stable calcite was studied and modulated with carboxymethyledextran (DexCM) and poly(4-styrenesulfonic acid) sodium salt (PSS), with the last one being able to stabilise the hybrids and prevent a premature release of the AgNPs at low contents (2%, w/w). The release of AgNPs from the hybrids was studied at pH 5 to 9, showing a pH-dependent release suppression for PSS-stabilised hybrids. Various mathematical models were applied to clarify the release mechanism, confirming the role of PSS in stabilising and targeting the release of AgNPs. The antibacterial studies demonstrated that the hybrids protect the AgNPs without affecting their activity, with the released nanoparticles being effective against Escherichia coli, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Overall, this work sheds light on the release mechanisms of AgNPs from the inorganic hybrids helping to foresee the release profiles of other compounds from vaterite.

Item Type:

Journal article

Publication Title:

Materials Today Chemistry

Creators:

Ferreira, A.M., Vikulina, A., Cave, G.W.V., Loughlin, M., Puddu, V. and Volodkin, D.

Contributors: