Deposition of silver oxysalts and their antimicrobial properties

Chemical (electroless) deposition of silver oxysalts such as Ag7NO11 x 3Ag(2)SO(4) and Ag7NO11 as powders or on a textile, i.e., high density polyethylene is investigated. The process is based on a reaction between AgNO3, a source of Ag(I) ion, and (NH4)(2)S2O8 or K2S2O8 used as oxidizing agents of silver(I) ions. In this way, silver(I) is oxidized to Ag(II) and/or AG(III). Silver oxysalts, produced in the present work are soluble in both nitric acid or ammonium hydroxide. These silver oxysalts are stable at room temperature, however, with an increase in temperature they decompose to a mixture of silver oxide(s) and silver salt(s), e.g., Ag2SO4 of AgNO3, depending on the composition of the initial compound. The oxidized silver species, based on silver oxysalts exhibited a strong antimicrobial effect against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphyloccus aureus, and Candida albicans microorganisms. (C) 2004 The Electrochemical Society.