Preparation and Antibacterial Properties of Alumina–Silver Nanocomposites

This work demonstrates the feasibility to prepare dispersed nanocomposites comprising alumina and metallic silver. The composites can be prepared in one-pot synthesis where the precursors are aqueous solutions containing aluminum and silver nitrates and an organic component: polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), glycine, or glycerol. Electron microscopy and X-ray studies show that silver nanoparticles are distributed over the surface of alumina aggregates containing hydrated aluminum oxide, α-Al2O3, and low-temperature aluminum oxide phases. The prepared composite samples have antibacterial properties acceptable for practical application. The samples prepared with PVA or PVP and finally heat-treated for 8 h at 850°С show the best bactericidal characteristics in experiments on Escherichia coli (E. coli) cultures.