Technological watch

The design of advanced materials with antifouling and antimicrobial properties is driven by a wave of research interest covering a window of applications ranging from the fabrication of biomedical devices and water purification systems to marine equipment and food packaging. In this panorama, metal and metal oxide nanoparticles emerged as promising antimicrobial agents due to their intrinsic nature related to a high surface-to-volume ratio and a nanosized structure which enable them to closely interact with microbial cells. It is worth underlining that the antimicrobial efficiency of metal nanoparticles is strongly influenced by their stabilization on a given support able to prevent agglomeration phenomena which lead to a remarkable decrease of the biocidal activity. In this background, silica and titania found application in the preparation of several nanocomposites bearing metal nanoparticles as antimicrobial agents. This review is aimed to provide a more specific focus on the design of antimicrobial nanocomposites based on Ag, Cu and Fe nanoparticles supported on silica and titania.