Effect of Surfactants and Polymers on Stability and Antibacterial Activity of Silver Nanoparticles (NPs)

In this first systematic study, we describe the influence of various surfactants and polymers on aggregation stability and antibacterial activity of silver nanoparticles (NPs) prepared by a modified Tollens process. The surfactant/polymer stabilizing effect was monitored using the newly established method based on a titration of the aqueous dispersion of the silver NPs by aqueous solution of poly(diallyldimethylammonium) chloride (PDDA). The aggregation process was evaluated by the dynamic light scattering (DLS) and UV/vis spectra measurements and finally confirmed by TEM. Among all of the investigated modifiers, two surfactants (sodium dodecyl sulfate-SDS and polyoxyethylenesorbitane monooleate-Tween 80) and…