Authors

Seyede Zohre Mirahmadi-Zare, Ali R. Allafchian, S.A.H. Jalali

Publication date

2019

Journal

Environmental Progress & Sustainable Energy

Volume

38

Pages

237–245

Description

In this work, a novel antimicrobial agent is synthesized. The metal‐chelating ligand EDTA is incorporated into silver nanoparticles to form a new cluster system which is enhanced in its efficacy to eliminate bacteria. Magnetic nanoparticles of Fe3O4 were layer‐by‐layer coated with aminopropyltriethoxysilane, linked‐EDTA, and silver nanoclusters (Fe3O4@APTES–EDTA@Ag), respectively. All steps of nanocomposite preparation were characterized by the TEM, field emission scanning electron microscope, X‐ray diffraction, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller, Vibrating Sample Magnetometer, and Fourier transform infrared. A sequential nucleophilic reaction applied for layer‐by‐layer fabrication of these antimicrobial units which could maintain the functionality of linked‐EDTA as EDTA chelator. The linked‐EDTA sequesters Ca2+ and Mg2+ ions effectively, thereby removing these metallic ions which are necessary for cell‐wall …